14 die in Kaduna-Abuja highway crash

FOURTEEEN passengers involved yesterday in an early hour accident along the Kaduna-Abuja highway have died, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) confirmed in Kaduna.
The Public Enlightenment Officer of the FRSC in Kaduna, Mr Olusogo Ogungbe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident occurred at kilometre 32 in Kakau on the highway.
According to him, the incident involved a Toyota Hiace vehicle marked Zamfara XA 545 TMA.
Ogungbe said the vehicle was carrying 18 persons. Of the lot, 14, including nine men and five women, were killed.
He said that four others, including three males and one female sustained injuries and were currently receiving treatment at St. Gerald’s Hospital in Kaduna.
Ogungbe attributed the accident to over-speeding, which he said made the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
He said the vehicle skidded off the road into the bush before it burst into flames.
An eye-witness, Salisu Ibrahim, said he saw six bodies burnt beyond recognition. Two others were lying at the scene of the incident.
Ibrahim said the vehicle was still on fire with other helpless victims in the vehicle before the arrival of the FRSC rescue team.