Ten persons died Tuesday afternoon in an accident involving two trucks, two tricycles and an 18-seater bus on Gombe/Biu bypass. Ten others were seriously injured and are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals within Gombe, the State capital.
The Medical Director of the specialist Hospital, Dr Muazu Ishaq, said some of the victims brought to his facility had fractures while one was referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Gombe. Muazu said the victim could not be admitted due to non-availability of space in the hospital hence he was referred to FTH.
He also confirmed that some bodies were deposited in the mortuary, adding that three of them have been identified by their relatives. A commercial tricycle operator and a survivor of the accident, Malam Muktar, said that the truck driver was over speeding, lost control and hit other vehicles, including two tricycles, which were damaged.
When contacted, Dr Godwin Omiko, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said that casualties were receiving treatment at various hospitals in the state. He said he was yet to ascertain the number of casualties. Meanwhile, the State governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has condoled with the families and relatives of the victims.
The governor, in a statement issued by his media aide, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said his thoughts and prayers were with the families of the victims in their trying moment. He also expressed sadness over the recurrence of road accidents involving articulated vehicles around the same axis of the metropolis.
While urging operators of heavy vehicles and motorists to obey road safety regulations in order to safeguard lives and property of the people, the governor disclosed that there were plans to introduce and implement more stringent measures that would help in curbing road traffic accidents in the state
