A tragic road accident on Saturday claimed the lives of 15 people in Mairuwa Village along the Funtua-Sokoto Highway.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) described the incident as “avoidable and preventable,” attributing it to poor vehicle maintenance and driver negligence.

According to a statement by the FRSC spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, the crash occurred around 11 a.m. when a Toyota Hiace bus loaded with passengers from Kano suffered a tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control.

The bus collided head-on with a Sino truck operated by the Dangote Group. The impact led to multiple casualties, primarily among bus passengers.

“The Mairuwa crash involved a Toyota Hiace Bus with registration number MRR 83 XA, loaded with passengers from Kano. A tyre burst led to loss of control, resulting in a head-on collision with a Sino Truck owned by the Dangote Group.

“A total of 28 people were involved, including 23 male adults, one female adult, one male child, and three female children. Of these, 13 victims (11 male adults, one female adult, and one male child) sustained various injuries,” read the statement.

Reacting to the tragedy, FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed expressed deep concern over the frequent occurrence of accidents due to poor vehicle maintenance.

He stated that adherence to traffic regulations, including routine checks and observing legal speed limits, could have averted the crash.

“If the driver had observed speed limits, ensured vehicle maintenance, and complied with traffic regulations, this tragedy could have been prevented,” he said.

PUNCH