23 die as vehicles crash into collapsed bridge

T hirty-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.