Bus, fuel tanker collision kills 14 people in Nigeria

Fourteen people were killed on Saturday when a bus collided with a petrol tanker in central Nigerian Niger state, a road safety official told AFP on Sunday.

The passenger bus collided with the oncoming petrol tanker as the driver tried to overtake another bus outside Kusobogi village, 80 kilometres from the state capital Minna, Kumar Tsukwan, head of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger state, said.

"Fourteen people died in the head-on collision while six others were injured and taken to hospital for medical attention," Tsukwan said.

He blamed "speeding and wrongful overtaking" by the bus driver for the accident.

More than 5,000 deaths in 2024

The bus was heading to the northern city of Kaduna from the Nigerian economic capital Lagos, Tsukwan said.

Road accidents are common in Nigeria largely due to speeding and disregard for traffic rules.

Last week 23 people died when a truck laden with goods and passengers overturned in northern city of Kano.

In 2024, Nigeria recorded 9,570 road accidents which resulted in 5,421 deaths, according FRSC data.

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