Yobe auto crash claims 17, injures 50

SEVENTEEN people were feared killed Monday, after a commercial luxurious bus crashed into a truck, when its front tyre burst at Dogon Kukah village along the Damaturu-Potiskum road in Yobe State, injuring 50 other passengers.

According to an eyewitness, Isa Yahaya, the accident was a “head on collision involving the bus and trailer-truck travelling in opposite directions on the same road in the afternoon.”

He said some residents also volunteered to rescue the injured passengers, before the rescue team of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) and soldiers arrived the scene to evacuate the corpses and the injured for the Damagum General Hospital. 

 “The 17 corpses have been deposited at the hospital morgue for deposition and identification by family members of travellers from Maiduguri and Damaturu,” said Yahaya.

At the hospital, the head of the Accident and Emergency Unit (A&EU), Mallam Isa Yusuf, told The Guardian that 17 corpses were brought to the hospital while 50 others are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

He said in line with the Yobe State government’s policy on victims of accidents and natural disasters, those on admission would be treated free of charge for 48 hours, adding that  the victims were in stable condition and responding to treatment.