Dozens of Muslim believers killed in car accident

Dozens of Muslim believers were killed in a traffic accident in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna.

The victims were on their way to the northern town of Saminaka to celebrate Eid-el-Maulud – the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.

Their bus collided with an oncoming truck near the town of Lere, an organizer of the Eid celebrations said.

Fatal road accidents are very common in Nigeria. Both drivers and passengers disregard safety measures, which are poorly enforced by the authorities.

An official from the Kaduna State Disaster Management Agency put the death toll at 36 on Monday morning.

However, the event's organizer, Ahmad Dayyabu, told the BBC that up to 40 people had died and 31 others were being treated in hospital.

“They left Kwandare town to come here to Saminaka. When they reached Lere town, their vehicle was run over by a semi-trailer,” he said.

“According to our investigations, there were 71 people in this accident vehicle.”

The bus is said to have been overloaded.

In the first quarter of 2024, more than 1,470 people died in road accidents across Nigeria. official statistics show.

That’s an average of about 16 people per day.

On the occasion of this year's Eid al-Maulud festival, the government declared Monday a public holiday.