12 dead, 28 injured in Zaria-Kano expressway auto-crash

Kabir Nadabo, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaduna State sector commander, says no fewer than 12 persons died and 28 sustained injuries in a road crash along the Zaria-Kano expressway.

Mr Nadabo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Kaduna that the fatal road traffic crash occurred at Tashar Yari village at 7:36 a.m. on Monday.

“The trailer with a registration number KTG 454 ZZ was travelling to Kano when the unfortunate incident occurred,” Mr Nadabo said.

He said the cause of the crash was wrongful overtaking, speeding and overloading, which sadly resulted in the high number of fatalities.

Mr Nadabo said the Chairman of Makarfi Local Government and the Unit Commander, Tashar Yari, were on the ground to assess the incident.

He said that an investigation of the incident has revealed that 40 people were involved in the crash, 28 got injured and 12 were deceased.

“The injured were conveyed to the Makarfi General Hospital for further treatment.

“The owner of the vehicle, who is in Azare, Bauchi State has been informed and directed to report to the Kaduna Sector Command, while the driver of the trailer was reportedly among the deceased, “he said.

Mr Nadabo said the accident was avoidable, adding, ” Hence our resolve to continue to reach out to the stakeholders, particularly transport unions.

”This is to preach and sensitize their drivers on the dangers of speeding, overloading, dangerous driving and the use of cellphones while driving, among others.

“The Corps in Kaduna will strive to continue to work hard and liaise with transport Stakeholders and the media in preaching the word of safety.”

Mr Nadabo appealed to motorists to imbibe the culture of safe driving, particularly on the highways.

Premium Times

Related story: At least 20 feared dead in Nigeria boat accident

Nigerian bank CEO, family among the 6 killed in California helicopter crash

The CEO of one of Nigeria's largest banks was among the six people killed when the helicopter they were on crashed Friday night in California, a World Trade Organization official said.

The chartered helicopter departed Palm Springs at 8:45 p.m. en route to Boulder City, Nevada, but "impacted the ground" near Halloran Springs, California, at 10:08 p.m., National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham said at a news conference Saturday night.

All six people on board — the pilot-in-command, a safety pilot and four passengers — were killed, Graham said.

Authorities have not publicly identified the victims.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director general of the World Trade Organization, said in a post on X that Herbert Wigwe, the group CEO of the Lagos-based Access Bank, was on board the helicopter with his wife and son. She did not include the names of Wigwe’s wife and son.

A fourth passenger, Bimbo Ogunbanjo, also known as Abimbola Ogunbanjo, was among the dead, she said. He is the former chair of NGX Group, the Nigerian stock exchange.

Graham said the aircraft, an Airbus Helicopters H130, was operated and chartered by Orbic Air. The California-based company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Multiple motorists on nearby Interstate 15, which runs from near the U.S.-Mexico border to Las Vegas en route to Canada, reported seeing either the crash or its resulting fire Friday night, he said.

"There was fire when the aircraft did contact the terrain," Graham said, citing witness accounts.

Halloran Springs, the name for a natural springs site in the Mojave Desert and its surrounding community, is about 80 miles south of Las Vegas, where the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs is set to be held Sunday.

Boulder Springs is about 25 miles outside Las Vegas.

NBC

Eight dead, several missing after ferry capsizes in Nigeria

At least eight people were confirmed dead and many were missing after a wooden ferry carrying 100 people capsized in northwest Nigeria, local emergency services said on Tuesday.

The accident happened on Monday in Niger state as residents of Dugga village were travelling to a market in neighbouring Kebbi State to sell grain and sugar cane.

Boat accidents are common on Nigerian waterways, and are often blamed on overcrowding and poor maintenance.

Ibrahim Hussaini, spokesperson for Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said a sudden change in wind direction sank the overcrowded boat.

Eight bodies were recovered and five people were rescued but many others were missing, added Hussaini.

By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters

Related stories: At least 20 feared dead in Nigeria boat accident

Boat carrying 20 fishermen capsizes in Nigeria

Video - 17 bodies recovered after boat capsizes in eastern Nigeria

 

 

 

At least 20 feared dead in Nigeria boat accident

At least 20 people are feared dead in an accident involving two passenger boats travelling from Andoni to Bonny island in Nigeria's coastal Rivers State, local officials said on Wednesday, the first such accident to hit the region this year.

Erastus Awortu, chairman of Andoni local government area, said the incident occurred on Tuesday night along the Andoni waterways.

"When we learned of the tragic development, we immediately dispatched our team to join the first responders on a rescue mission at the scene of the incident," Awortu said in a statement, without providing further details about survivors.

Overcrowding and poor maintenance are responsible for most boat accidents on Nigerian waterways.

Last year, almost 200 people died in boat accidents across Nigeria. One such disaster in June killed more than 100 after an overloaded boat capsized in the north-central Niger State.

Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in a statement, expressed condolences to the affected families and pledged to "ensure that such threats against safe traveling on our sea routes are tackled."

By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters

Related stories: Boat carrying 20 fishermen capsizes in Nigeria

Video - 17 bodies recovered after boat capsizes in eastern Nigeria

Video - Search ends, recovery efforts intensify after tragic boat accident in Nigeria

25 killed truck in overloaded truck accident in Nigeria

A truck overloaded with food items and more than 200 people crashed in north-central Nigeria’s Niger state, killing 25 passengers and injuring dozens of others, authorities said Wednesday.

The truck was on its way to Nigeria’s economic hub of Lagos on Tuesday when it crashed in Takalafia village in Niger’s Magama district on Tuesday, according to Nigeria’s road safety agency.

Niger Gov. Mohammed Umaru Bago said in a statement that the 25 victims have been taken to a nearby mortuary while other passengers were being treated for their injuries.

Kumar Tsukwam, sector commander of Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps in Niger, told The Associated Press that it’s believed some of the passengers wanted to travel with the trailer through Tuesday night to avoid unsafe roads during the day.

“The passengers were not mindful of the (nature of the) road and the goods it was conveying,” Tsukwam said.

Overloading and speeding are common causes of crashes along major roads in Nigeria where traffic rules are often not adhered to, with drivers who disobey the rules often escaping penalties.

Authorities are going to ensure that “stringent penalties are meted out to traffic rule violators” in Niger state, Bago said.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu mourned the victims and urged commuters to drive safely, especially as the festive season approaches.

“The president describes the incident as a harrowing tragedy and directs the agency responsible for emergency response to immediately move in and ensure that those injured get the necessary treatment,” Tinubu’s office said in a statement.

By, Chinedu Asadu, AP

Boat carrying 20 fishermen capsizes in Nigeria

KANO, Nigeria

At least 20 fishermen died after their boat capsized Monday in the Anyiin area of River Benue in northeastern Nigeria’s Taraba state.

Taraba Governor Agbu Kefas confirmed the incident.

“Today’s boat incident is even more unfortunate, since it comes on the heels of a similar one in Karim Lamido that plunged the state into mourning,” Emmanuel Bello, the spokesman for the governor, quoted him as saying.

According to Taraba State Water Transportation Chairman Alhaji Jidda Suleiman, the boat was carrying fishermen from the Ibi and Wukari local government areas of Taraba to Kwara state.

“I was informed that the fishermen converged and boarded the boat to Kwara state in search of greener pastures, and along the way, they had an accident and over 20 people died.

"Twelve of the dead are from Ibi, while some are from Gareji, in Gindin Doruwa, Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba state,” he added.

He said the governor has condoled with the families of the victims.

“It has been the tradition of our fishermen in Taraba state that once it is close to December, some will travel to Cameroon, some to Chad and other places to fish until August of the following year. It’s unfortunate that the usual tradition turned out to be sorrowful this time.”

AA

Explosion, fire at Canadian High Commission in Nigeria kills 2

An explosion at the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria's capital of Abuja killed two people and sent another two to hospital, according to the fire service that responded to the call.

"A tanker that was inside the generator building exploded ... killing two men who worked for the company managing the generator," Mercy Douglas of the FCT Fire Service told CBC News.

"Two people outside the building were injured by the explosion," she added. "They are in hospital having treatment."

An eyewitness who tweeted a video of the fire captured large plumes of black smoke billowing up from behind the building.

In a social media post, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said that officials were working to "shed light on what caused this situation."

"I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the two people killed in this tragedy," Joly said.

Douglas said the fire service got a call at 11:55 a.m. Monday reporting the tanker explosion inside the generator building on Diplomatic Drive in the city's central business district.

Firefighters in Abuja subdued the fire and were back at the station by 1 p.m., Douglas said.

Douglas was unable to confirm whether any of the people killed or hospitalized held Canadian citizenship.

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Global Affairs Canada said one of the two people killed was a "locally engaged employee."

"Global Affairs Canada extends its sympathies to the families of those killed and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured," the statement said. "We can confirm all other staff at the High Commission are safe and unharmed."

Global Affairs said it's working with local authorities to determine the cause of the explosion and the High Commission will be closed until further notice.

"An investigation will be carried out, but at this point everything points to an accident rather than a deliberate act," the department said.

By Peter Zimonjic, CBC

Video - 17 bodies recovered after boat capsizes in eastern Nigeria

At least 17 bodies have been recovered after a passenger boat capsized in Nigeria's eastern state of Taraba on Saturday.

CGTN

Related story: Over 70 people missing after latest deadly boat accident in Nigeria

 

Over 70 people missing after latest deadly boat accident in Nigeria

More than 70 people were missing on Monday after a boat capsized in northern Nigeria, according to authorities who deplored the frequent deadly boat accidents in Africa's most populous country.

The boat was carrying traders returning from a fish market in Taraba state's Ardo-Kola district late Saturday when it capsized on the Benue River, which is one of Nigeria's largest, the national emergency services said.

More than 100 passengers were on board and 14 were rescued, while 17 bodies have been recovered and 73 people are missing, Ladan Ayuba, head of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency, told The Associated Press.

Taraba Gov. Agbu Kefas called the accident a "monumental tragedy" and ordered the use of life jackets for boat passengers. "Our body of water, which is one of the longest in the region, should be a veritable source of wealth and not death," the governor said, according to a statement issued Monday by his office.

Boat disasters are common in remote communities across the West African nation. This is the third involving more than 100 passengers in just four months. Most are attributed to overloading. Good, accessible roads are often lacking in those areas.

Authorities were investigating the cause of this accident, said Taraba police spokesperson Usman Abdullahi. Locals and fishermen were helping rescue agencies.

Abdullahi said he feared that the operation could last for days because the river is flowing at its highest level.

"We don't even expect to get the bodies anywhere near here," he said.

Africa News

Video - 40 people missing from boat accident in Nigeria

Nearly 40 people are missing and presumed to have drowned in Nigeria after a passenger boat capsized in strong currents, according to a local official. The Monday accident took place in the northwestern state of Kebbi. Authorities are searching for the passengers with the help of local divers.

CGTN

Blast at illegal oil refinery leaves at least 18 dead

At least 18 people, including a pregnant woman, have died in southern Nigeria when an illegal oil refinery exploded into flames, a security official and residents said.

The blaze took place early on Monday in Rivers State’s Emohua district when a homemade refinery ignited a nearby oil reservoir, leaving victims severely burned, according to a report by AFP news agency on Tuesday.

“The fire outbreak started at a very late hour … 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition while 25 injured persons were rescued,” said Olufemi Ayodele, spokesman for the local Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“Most of the victims were youths … a pregnant woman and a young lady getting ready for her marriage ceremony next month were all casualties,” he said.

In another report, the Reuters news agency, citing a local Ibaa community leader, said as many as 37 people died in the blaze.

“Thirty-five people were caught in the fire. Two people who were lucky to escape also died this morning [Tuesday] in hospital,” Rufus Welekem, the head of security in the community, told Reuters.

Illegal refining is common in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria as impoverished locals tap pipelines to make fuel to sell for a profit. The practice, which can be as basic as boiling crude oil in drums to extract fuel, is often deadly.

Nigeria – an OPEC member and one of Africa’s largest petroleum producers – has for years tried to clamp down on illegal crude refineries, with little success, in part because powerfully connected politicians and security officials are involved, local environmental groups say.

Crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and legal battles over oil spills are pushing oil majors operating in Nigeria to sell their onshore and shallow water assets to concentrate on deepwater operations. 

Al Jazeera

Related stories: Explosion at Nigerian illegal oil refinery kills more than 100

The Criminals Undercutting Nigeria’s Oil Industry

Video - 20 people feared dead following tanker explosion in Nigeria

The tanker overturned along the Sapele-Benin road on Sunday night causing a spillage. It's understood that locals, mostly young people, flocked to the scene to fill containers with the spilled fuel, despite warnings. A spark then ignited a fire causing the deadly explosion.

CGTN

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Fuel truck blaze kills nine in Nigeria

 

 

Ferry accident in Nigeria leaves 26 dead

At least 26 people died and several others were missing after a ferry capsized on a reservoir in north central Nigeria on Sunday, local officials said, the second such major accident to hit the region in three months.

Bologi Ibrahim, the spokesperson for the governor of Niger state, said the boat was carrying more than 100 people, including women and children, in the Mokwa local government area of the state. The victims were going to their farms across a major dam, said Ibrahim.

"Twenty six persons, mostly women and children have been confirmed dead, over 30 people rescued, while a combined rescue operation by marine police and local divers in collaboration with Niger State Emergency Management Agency is ongoing," Ibrahim said in a state.

In July, more than 100 people died when an overloaded boat capsized in a remote part of Niger state, in one of the worst such disasters in recent years.

Overcrowding and poor maintenance are responsible for most boat accidents on Nigerian waterways. 

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

8 Killed in fuel explosion in Nigeria

At least eight people were killed when a fuel truck exploded in southwestern Nigeria as residents were trying to siphon petrol out of it, police said on Monday.

The truck was involved in an accident on Sunday night in a neighbourhood of Ondo state which caused it to veer off the road and topple on its side, the police said.

"Some people went there to scoop fuel, in the process the tanker exploded," said Ondo state police spokesman Fumilayo Odunlami-Omisanya.

The price of petrol has more than tripled since the removal of a decades-old subsidy at the end of May, hitting motorists and households and small businesses who use petrol generators for power.

By Tife Owolabi, Reuters 

Related stories: Nigeria gas explosion: 17 dead, rescue efforts under way

Explosion at Nigerian illegal oil refinery kills more than 100

 

 

Building collapeses in Abuja, leaving several people trapped

Several people are feared trapped under the debris after a multi-story building under construction in the Nigerian capital collapsed, local authorities said Tuesday.

The building in downtown Abuja collapsed on Monday afternoon. "The search and rescue continues. Nine of them have been rescued, six were discharged from the hospital and three are still in the hospital receiving treatment. Their condition is stable and everything is going on well," said Amiola Adebayo, head of operations at the fire service in Abuja.

According to local media, the building was approved for three floors, but the developer violated the building codes. An unspecific number of people were still trapped under the debris.

Cases of building collapses are not uncommon in Nigeria, and local experts lay the blame on aging structures, non-compliance with building planning and regulations, and the use of substandard materials during construction.

Xinhua

Video - Search ends, recovery efforts intensify after tragic boat accident in Nigeria

Emergency crews in north-central Nigeria are searching for the bodies of dozens of people still missing after a boat capsized on the Niger River on Monday night. Around 140 people were rescued and more than a hundred are still missing. The accident happened on the Niger River - between the Niger and Kwara states. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris joins us live on a boat close to the village of Egboti in Nigeria for the latest updates.

Al Jazeera

Video - More than 100 people feared drowned in boat accident in Nigeria

At least one hundred people are feared dead after a boat capsized. It happened on the Niger river between Niger and Kwara states. Witnesses say the vessel was carrying people returning from a wedding ceremony in Niger State. About 50 bodies have been recovered. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris joins us now from the capital Abuja for the latest updates.

Al Jazeera

15 children dead and 25 more missing in boat accident in Nigeria

Fifteen children drowned and 25 others were left missing when a boat capsized in a river in northwest Nigeria's Sokoto state, a local official told AFP Wednesday. The children were on their way to collect firewood in the bush on Tuesday on the other side of Shagari river when their overloaded boat capsized, Aliyu Abubakar, political administrator of Shagari district said.

"We woke up to a tragedy yesterday morning, where a boat carrying children capsized mid-river," Abubakar told AFP.

"Fifteen bodies, 13 girls and two boys, were recovered by local rescue teams and buried in the village," said the official, who supervised the rescue operation.

River accidents are frequent in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, poor maintenance, heavy flooding in rainy season and disregard of safety regulations.

Divers were working in the Shagari river late on Tuesday searching for more of the children.

In April last year, 29 children from nearby Gidan Magana village in Sokoto drowned in the same river when their vessel capsized while they were also on their way to fetch firewood for their families.

During massive flooding in rainy season in December, at least 76 people drowned when their boat went down in a swollen river in southeast Anambra State.

In one of the country's worst river disasters in May 2021, only 20 people were rescued and more than 150 went missing when a boat transporting people to market broke apart while travelling between Kebbi and Niger states.

Nigeria's waterways authority has tried to ban night-time sailing on rivers to stop accidents, and overloading vessels is a criminal offence, but skippers and crews often flout the rules.

River transport and market trade are common in Nigeria, where roads are often poor. The Niger, West Africa's main river travelling through Guinea to Nigeria's Niger Delta, is a key local trade route. 

CBS

Car crash into street party in Nigeria leaves 7 dead

An out-of-control car crashed into a crowd at a large street party in southern Nigeria on Tuesday, leaving seven people dead and many others injured, authorities told The Associated Press.

The driver lost control of the car on a packed street in Calabar, Cross River State capital, just as people were gathering to watch a bikers parade at the Calabar carnival, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps said.

Tuesday’s bikers show is one of the main highlights of the carnival event known as one of Africa's biggest street parties. The annual carnival has regularly drawn people from across Nigeria and beyond since it began nearly two decades ago.

Thousands had gathered to watch the bikers’ stunts when the car smashed into people, scattering bodies and leaving the injured along the road, witnesses said.

Hassan Abdullahi Maikano, head of the road safety corps in Cross River, told AP that the car was traveling at high speed when it ran through security controls.

“The motorist lost control and ran into the crowd. The total number involved were 36; seven died and 29 got injured,” said Maikano, adding five of the injured were children. The driver survived but was injured, he added.

Cross River Gov. Ben Ayade ordered the parade canceled and the driver placed under arrest, according to Christian Ita, his spokesman.

Ita said the governor has extended his sympathies to the victims and their families and ordered an immediately investigation into how the crash occurred.

By Chinedu Asadu, AP

Twenty burnt to death in Nigeria road accident

Twenty people, including children, were burnt to death after a public mini-bus collided with a car on a highway in northern Nigeria, the road safety agency said on Tuesday.

"The accident was caused by a speed violation. A driver was injured, 20 were killed and burnt to ashes," the Bauchi state command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said in a statement.

In Africa's most populous nation, many roads are poorly maintained and riven with potholes, leading to accidents that claim dozens of lives every year.

Reporting by Ardo Hazzad, Editing by MacDonald Dzirutwe and Sandra Maler

Reuters