23 die as vehicles crash into collapsed bridge

Thirty-four people were killed in separate auto
accidents in Katsina and Jigawa states between
Monday and Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that 23
persons were feared killed in multiple crashes,
when their vehicles plunged into a collapsed
bridge at Yar'randa village in Charanchi Local
Government Area of Katsina State.
NAN learnt that the first crash involved a bus
conveying 24 passengers which plunged into the
bridge few minutes after its collapse on Monday
night.
According to the witness, the bridge collapsed at
about 9.30p.m. due to a downpour, and moments
after, the bus with registration number XA 328
KZR, conveying passengers from Kano to Katsina,
fell into the bridge.
The villagers said efforts made to alert the bus
driver was to no avail as he was on a high speed.
The bus and the passengers were swept by the
heavy current and some of the dead bodies were
recovered miles away in Ajiwa area, the villagers
and officials told NAN.
NAN also gathered that only two of the
passengers in the bus, including a student of the
Federal College of Education, Bichi in Kano State,
survived the incident.
The student, Jamilu Aminu-Elder, who was seen at
the scene, could not speak to NAN as he was still
in shock.
The police said 10 bodies had been recovered and
deposited at the mortuary of the General
Hospital, Kankia while the search for 12 others
was ongoing.
Similarly, another person was reported dead
when the vehicle he was in, a Mitsubishi truck, fell
into the water at about 5.00a.m. on Tuesday.
Two other persons in the vehicle however
survived, while a motorcycle rider with a
passenger, who also plunged into the collapsed
bridge were rescued alive.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Bala Senchi, who
visited the scene, confirmed the story, but said
the police were not clear on the number of death
as the search for the missing passengers was still
on.
He said policemen had been deployed to the area
to control traffic and prevent further accident at
the scene.
The Permanent Secretary, State Ministry for Works
and Housing, Mallam Rabi'u Ibrahim, and an
official of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency had
visited the scene to assess the damage.
Ibrahim said a report would be forwarded to the
Katsina State Government for prompt
intervention.
He condoled with the families of the deceased
persons and prayed for the repose of the souls of
those who died.
Also, some 11 palace guards of the Emir of
Hadejia, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar Maje in Jigawa
State were on Tuesday killed in a ghastly uuto
accident. A source in Hadejia who confirmed this,
said the palace guards were on their way to
receive the emir, who had returned to the country
from a medical trip.
An eyewitness said the vehicles conveying the
guards had an head-on coalition with a heavyduty
tanker around Zakirai-Ringim road in Jigawa State.
A palace source said the entire emirate had been
thrown into mourning, when the news of the
incident filtered into the emirate.
The traditional guards are popularly known in
Hausa as 'Dogarai' with their leader referred to as
'Sarkin Dogarai.'
The source, who added that they were still in
shock, said the emirate would issue a formal
statement regarding the tragedy.