A truck carrying passengers crashed in northern Nigeria on Sunday, authorities said, with the Kano governor’s office attributing the crash to reckless driving. The accident killed at least 30 people and left several others injured, officials said.
The Kano governor’s office said the trailer was traveling along a highway in Kwanar Barde town in Kano’s Gezawa local government area when it lost control. Officials said the truck was carrying passengers and goods toward Gujungu town, and the crash occurred early Sunday morning.
Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, spokesman for Kano Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf, said those injured—many with serious injuries—were receiving medical care in different hospitals. In a statement issued through the governor’s office, the governor described the incident as “heartbreaking and a great loss” for the affected families and for the people of Kano State.
Officials said the renewed calls for compliance would focus on adherence to traffic regulations and punishment for offenders. The statement came as road accidents remain frequent in Nigeria, which officials and other commentators have linked to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
The Kano statement also echoed concerns raised in other recent accidents reported in Nigeria. In December, officials said heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua and two close associates were injured and killed, respectively, when their driver hit a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; authorities said the driver was speeding and charged him for dangerous driving.