Police in Adamawa State have confirmed the death of 35 people after a truck lost control and fell into a drying river.
Another 28 people were injured in Sunday’s crash between Yola and Ngurore, Adamawa police spokesman, Othman Abubakar, said.
“It is obvious that the driver was speeding and suddenly lost control of the vehicle. The trailer was loaded with passengers and cattle,” he said.
A witness, who lost two relatives in the accident, said the trailer was going from Song in the northern part of Adamawa to Yola.
“It was so fatal. About 40 people died and 30 sustained injuries in the crash which also saw the death of 15 cattle,” said witness, Abdu Ngurore.
The state chairman of the National Union Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Bello Ngurore, who helped in evacuating the bodies, said all the passengers aboard the trailer were cattle traders coming from Song.
“The driver of the trailer lost control, tumbled down the expressway, and spilled out the passengers,” he said.
A Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official in Adamawa said that the accident occurred at about 10p.m.
He said that before the arrival of FRSC personnel at the scene, the victims had been evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, and Specialists Hospital, Yola.
