No fewer than 11 women lost their lives on Saturday in an auto crash in Kano State while coming from the family house of a bridegroom.
It was learnt that their vehicle lost control and crashed into an abandoned tollgate building in the Na’ibawa ‘Yan Lemo area of Kano State.
It was gathered that the accident occurred around 9pm after the driver of a Volkswagen Sharon bus with 18 passengers tried to avoid crashing into a speeding Volkswagen Golf.
According to eyewitnesses, the Volkswagen Sharon bus suddenly hit the tollgate building and somersaulted before screeching to a halt by the roadside.
One of the eyewitnesses said, “Eight women among the 18 passengers died on the spot, while the rest were rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, where three more passengers died.”
It was learnt that all the dead victims were buried on Sunday at a cemetery in the Hotoro area of the city.
A survivor of the crash, Aliyu Yusuf, told our correspondent that the they were returning from the house of a bridegroom in the Wailari area, where they had gone to pick up other persons, who would escort them to the house of the bride at Unguwa Uku quarters.
He said, “We were coming back from the groom’s family house when we suddenly noticed a speeding Golf car behind us.
“The driver of the Golf car was speeding and he suddenly noticed a huge pothole; so, he veered into our lane.
“To avoid being hit by the Golf car, our driver swerved to the other lane, but there was a trailer coming behind us, leaving us with no option than to return to our original lane. It was in the process that the driver lost control and ran into the tollgate building.
“I didn’t know how I survived. I just saw myself standing by the roadside with another boy, who was also in the vehicle. But when I looked at the car, I noticed that it was completely damaged.
“I saw blood and bodies everywhere and I saw a dead woman with a baby screaming on her back.”
Yusuf said the driver of the Volkswagen Sharon escaped death, but suffered from a broken arm.
Another witness told our correspondent that the driver of the Volkswagen Golf sped away after he saw what happened.
The spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps in Kano State, Kabiru Daura, who confirmed the incident via a text message, said, “Yes, we are aware. A vehicle conveying women ran into the tollgate building at Yanlemo on Zaria Road.
“Eight persons died on the spot, while three others died after receiving emergency treatment.”
