An accident occurred at Damagum Market in Yobe State on Sunday evening when an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus veered off the road and crashed into a crowd, killing five people, including a pregnant woman, and injuring 19 others.
The bus, bearing registration number KTG 283 XA, reportedly lost control while approaching the busy market area as traders and customers were closing for the day.
According to officials, the victims were pedestrians standing by the roadside, likely waiting to cross, when the bus rammed into them.
Confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Yobe State, Livinus Yilzoom, provided grim details of the crash.
“Note that five persons who died were not occupants of the vehicle, rather, they were pedestrians who were by the roadside waiting to cross,” Yilzoom said.
“The driver, in trying to avoid the pedestrians, ran into them as he lost control due to the speed he was travelling. So far, 19 persons were injured and five killed.”
Yilzoom stated that upon receiving the distress call, the FRSC Unit Command at Dogon Kuka quickly dispatched a crash investigation team to the scene.
The victims, both injured and deceased, were promptly evacuated to the Damagum General Hospital.
Preliminary investigations point to speed limit violations and loss of control by the driver as the primary causes of the accident.
“The crash was preventable. It was caused by speed limit violation and loss of control,” the FRSC commander noted.
“We urge drivers to always obey traffic laws, especially in populated and market areas.”
