Bus plunges off bridge in northern Nigeria, killing 22 athletes

A bus crash in Nigeria’s northern state of Kano has killed 22 athletes returning home from a national sports event, according to the local governor.

The bus, which was reportedly carrying more than 30 passengers, plunged off the Chiromawa Bridge on the Kano-Zaria expressway on Saturday, Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf told The Associated Press news agency.

The exact cause of the accident was not known, but the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said it “might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed” after a long overnight trip.

The survivors of the crash were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Yusuf said the athletes, who were accompanied by their coaches and sporting officials, were representing Kano State at the Nigerian National Sports Festival, held about 1,000km (620 miles) to the south in Ogun State.

He declared Monday a day of mourning for the state. His deputy, Aminu Gwarzo, said the families of the victims would receive 1 million naira (about $630) and food supplies as support.

The National Association of Nigerian Students released a statement, Nigerian daily The Guardian reported, saying the “heartbreaking” incident had “cast a shadow of grief over the entire nation, particularly the youth and sports communities”.

Road accidents are common in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.

In March, at least six people died near the capital, Abuja, after a trailer crashed into parked vehicles and burst into flames.

Last year, Nigeria recorded 9,570 road accidents that resulted in 5,421 deaths, according to FRSC data.

The Nigerian National Sports Festival brings together athletes from the country’s 35 states every two years.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu recently said the games, which include sports ranging from wheelchair basketball to traditional West African wrestling, represent “the unity, strength and resilience that define us as a nation”.

Al Jazeera

More than 700 believed dead in devastating Nigeria floods

The official death toll after deadly floods hit the Nigerian town of Mokwa on Thursday has risen to more than 200, officials say.

Another 500 people are still missing in the town in the central Niger State however, local official Musa Kimboku told the BBC that rescue efforts had ceased because authorities no longer believe anyone could still be found alive.

The floods, said to be worst in the area for 60 years, swept through the Mokwa districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa after torrential rains.

In an effort to prevent disease in the area, authorities will soon start to dig out corpses buried underground, Mokwa's district head Muhammadu Aliyu said.

Recounting scenes of catastrophe, local residents told the BBC that they saw their homes and family members get washed away.

One man, Adamu Yusuf, lost his wife and newborn baby.

"I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim," he told the BBC.

Another resident, Saliu Sulaiman, said the floods had left him homeless and destroyed some of his cash business profits.

"I lost at least $1,500 to the floods. It was the proceeds from the sale of my farm produce the previous day. I contemplated going back into the room to get it, but the pressure of the water scared me."

Some local residents have said that the flooding was so devastating because a nearby dam had burst, however the authorities have not confirmed this.

On Sunday, the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) announced it had started the process of providing relief packages to people affected.

The agency added in a post on Facebook that roads and bridges were also affected by the flood, which has had a knock-on effect on the local economy and traffic.

The Nigerian Red Cross also released a statement on Friday saying the floods had caused "significant loss of life and widespread distress".

Floods are not uncommon during the Nigerian rainy season, which lasts from April until October.

In 2024, Nigeria experienced flooding from heavy rain which caused deaths and drove people from their homes.

There was also severe flooding in 2022, when more than 600 people died and 1.3 million were displaced.

By Azeezat Olaoluwa & Cecilia Macaulay, BBC

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