At least 20 athletes from Kano State have lost their lives in a road accident on their way back from the National Sports Festival held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The tragic accident happened on Saturday at Dakatsalle Bridge in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State.
Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, confirmed the incident and said the accident involved a bus carrying 30 athletes. According to him, the bus fell off the bridge, leading to multiple deaths and injuries.
“As I am talking to you now, we have counted 19 dead bodies,” Fagge told reporters. He added that many of the surviving athletes suffered different levels of injuries.
A former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Ado Salisu, said the injured athletes were being rushed to Kura General Hospital for medical treatment.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kano Sector Command, Abdullahi Labaran, also confirmed the crash but said he could not give the exact number of those killed or injured.
“We just received the report of the accident, so I cannot confirm the exact number of casualties at the moment,” Labaran said.
The athletes were part of the Kano contingent that took part in the just concluded Gateway Games, a national sports event meant to promote unity and sporting excellence in Nigeria.
The tragic news has left the Kano sports community and the entire nation in mourning.
