No fewer than eight persons, including four children, have lost their lives, while 17 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a fatal road traffic crash along the Funtua–Katsina highway in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The accident occurred at about 1:32 p.m. on Sunday at Layin Kukah, along the Funtua–Katsina route, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), RS1.3 Katsina Sector Command.
The Public Education Officer of the FRSC Katsina Sector Command, DRC Shamsudeen Babajo, confirmed the incident in a statement issued to journalists. He urged motorists to avoid dangerous overtaking and to always adhere to traffic regulations to prevent avoidable road crashes.
According to him, the crash involved a Toyota Hiace commercial bus with registration number 14B 92 TR and a Bajaj commercial tricycle without a registration number.
A total of 25 persons were involved in the accident, comprising 16 adult males, four adult females, two male children, and three female children. Of these, 17 victims—15 adult males and two adult females—sustained various injuries, including fractures and deep lacerations.
The FRSC reported that eight persons died in the crash, including two adult males, two adult females, three female children, and one male child. No occupant escaped the accident unhurt.
The corps stated that information about the crash was received at 1:34 p.m., while its rescue team arrived at the scene at about 2:04 p.m., recording a response time of 30 minutes.
Preliminary investigations identified wrongful overtaking as the likely cause of the crash, while the identities of the drivers involved could not be immediately established.
The FRSC rescue team, in collaboration with the Community Watch Corps (C-Watch), evacuated the victims from the scene.
The injured were taken to Bakori Comprehensive Hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were initially deposited at the same facility before being transferred to the General Hospital, Funtua.
