Kano Crash: FRSC Confirms 12 Dead, Says Accident Avoidable

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The authorities of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Kano State, have blamed the fatal road mishap that occurred in Samawa Community of Garum Malam Local Council of Kano State, on human errors and recklessness.

The Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, in a postmortem of the tragic incident on Saturday August 16, also described it as avoidable.

The Source reports that no fewer than 12 persons have been confirmed dead as a result of the crash which involved a DAF long truck within the Garum Malam axis of the ever busy Kano/Zaria Expressway on Friday August 15.

According to a statement from the spokesperson for the FRSC, Olusegun Ogungbemide, the ill-fated truck was laden with both passengers and goods.

While condemning the seemingly in-vogue practice of carrying both passengers and goods by heavy duty trucks, the Commission  sued for urgent action to prevent further avoidable loss of lives through human recklessness.

He warned against the habit of loading both passengers and goods together, and noted that the Commission will no longer sit by and watch as human lives are wasted.

He called on operators to urgently phase out what he termed “old and mechanically unsafe vehicles from their fleet.

Mohammed emphasized the need for motorists to refrain from the highly dangerous practice of loading goods, animals and human beings together in same vehicle.

Further indulgence in such unwholesome practice, according to him, will attract maximum penalty from the FRSC.

“The recurring loss of lives from preventable crashes underscores the urgent need for haulage companies to adopt modern fleet renewal practices and adhere to safety regulations”, the FRSC Corps Marshal stated.

” Preliminary investigations revealed that the cab hook of the trailer broke, detaching the cab from the trailer, and causing a total loss of control.

“Of the 19 individuals involved, 12 died at the scene, five sustained injuries, and two were rescued unhurt” the FRSC noted .

According to Ogungbemide, while the remains of the dead victims have been deposited at the Nasarawa General Hospital in Kano, the injured are presently receiving medical attention at the Kura General Hospital, close to the scene of the accident.