At least eight people, including four children, have lost their lives while 17 others sustained injuries in a tragic road accident along the Funtua–Katsina highway in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The fatal crash occurred on Sunday afternoon at Layin Kukah, involving a Toyota Hiace commercial bus and a Bajaj commercial tricycle, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Confirming the incident, the Public Education Officer of the FRSC Katsina Sector Command, DRC Shamsudeen Babajo, said a total of 25 people were involved in the collision.
He disclosed that 17 victims suffered varying degrees of injuries, including fractures and deep cuts, while eight others died at the scene. The deceased included two adult men, two adult women, three female children and one male child.
Babajo said the FRSC received a distress call shortly after the crash occurred, with rescue officials arriving at the scene within 30 minutes to begin emergency operations.
The rescue team, working alongside members of the Community Watch Corps (C-Watch), evacuated the injured victims to Bakori Comprehensive Hospital for medical treatment.
The bodies of those who died were initially deposited at the same hospital before being transferred to General Hospital, Funtua.
Preliminary findings by the FRSC indicated that wrongful overtaking was the likely cause of the devastating crash, although investigations are still ongoing.
The agency urged motorists to avoid dangerous overtaking, obey traffic regulations and drive responsibly to reduce the growing number of fatal road accidents across the country.
