An 18-seater Toyota Hiace Bus with registration number KTG 283 XA has rammed into the busy Damagum market in Yobe State, killing a pregnant woman, four others and injuring 19 persons.
Confirming the number of casualties, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state, Livinus Yilzoom, said the incident happened Sunday evening when the pedestrian victims were closing from the market.
“Note that five persons who died were not occupants of the vehicle, rather, they were pedestrians who were by the roadside waiting to cross.
“The driver, in trying to avoid the pedestrian ran into five persons who were killed as he lost control due to the speed he was travelling. So, far 19 persons were injured and five killed,” he said.
The Sector further revealed on receiving the information, the Unit Command at Dogon Kuka dispatched the crash investigation team to the scene and evacuated the victims to Damagum General Hospital for medical attention.
He said that investigation revealed that speed limit violation and loss control were the immediate causes of the crash.
Other eyewitnesses who spoke to Channels Television complained of the location of markets along the highway in most communities is increasing, especially on market days.
