Nairobi.– At least 15 people died and another 17 were injured this Monday after a cargo truck carrying 48 passengers overturned on a highway in the state of Kwara, in western Nigeria, local traffic authorities reported.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Kwara, Kabir Kazeem, confirmed in a statement that out of the 48 passengers, 15 died on the spot, 17 sustained injuries of varying degrees, including fractures and severe contusions, and 16 were left unhurt.
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The incident occurred around 02:32 local time (01:32 GMT) on the section of the Ilorin-Jebba highway that connects the towns of Ogbomoso and Oko Olowo, when the vehicle overturned on the road.
Kazeem provisionally attributed the causes of the accident to driver fatigue at the wheel.
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Emergency services transported the injured to nearby medical centers in Arewa and Baki for urgent treatment, while the bodies of the deceased have already been handed over to their families through local authorities.
The head of road safety added that rescue teams are keeping search operations active due to the possibility that victims remain trapped under the vehicle’s cargo.
Likewise, he urged carriers to avoid night travel, extreme fatigue, and the illegal practice of transporting people alongside heavy goods.
