THIRTEEN people have lost their lives, while 48 others are in critical condition, following an accident that occurred on the Mashi-Guntu road in Mashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The accident, which occurred at about 8.00 p.m. on Sunday, involved an articulated lorry carrying the victims, cows and sheep.
It was gathered that the lorry skidded off the road as a result of speeding, which left 11 persons dead on the spot, while two others died on the way to Daura General Hospital.
Investigations further revealed that the victims, who were from the Mai’adua market, were heading to Lagos with their cows and sheep when the accident occurred.
An eyewitness told Nigerian Tribune that the driver of a car, who also sustained serious injuries, was being attended to at the Katsina General Hospital.
When contacted, the zonal FRSC commandant, Daura, Malam Abdullahi Galadi, attributed the accident to speeding, saying that the commuters were from the Mai’adua market going to Lagos with their animals.
He, however, added that his officers had been dispatched to the scene of accident to ensure a free flow of traffic on the road.
During a visit to the accident scene, the chairman, Mashi Local Government Council, Alhaji Hamisu Abdullahi Gyartai, sympathised with the victims, describing the accident as an act of God and prayed to God to guard against future occurrence.
