ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-At least 20 athletes from the Kano State contingent have been confirmed dead following a fatal motor accident at the Dakatsalle Bridge in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State.
The athletes were reportedly returning from the recently concluded National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, when the tragic incident occurred.
Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, confirmed the development, stating that several other athletes sustained varying degrees of injuries in the Saturday crash.
According to him, the bus transporting 30 athletes veered off and fell from the bridge, resulting in the deaths.
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“As I am talking to you now, we have counted 19 dead bodies,” Fagge said.
Similarly, Ado Salisu, a former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), said victims were still being evacuated to Kura General Hospital.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kano Sector Command, Abdullahi Labaran, also confirmed the accident but noted that the casualty figures were yet to be officially verified.
“We just received the report of the accident, so, I cannot confirm the exact number of casualties at the moment,” he added.