Tragedy Strikes as 20 Kano Athletes Perish in Road Mishap

A calamitous road mishap has claimed the lives of no fewer than twenty athletes from the Kano Contingent, who were returning from the recently concluded National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The harrowing crash transpired at Dakatsalle Bridge in the Kura Local Government Area of Kano State, leaving numerous others injured.

Umar Fagge, Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, reported that the bus carrying thirty athletes plunged from the bridge, resulting in the grievous loss of life.

“As I speak to you now, we have counted nineteen deceased,” Fagge stated, with the death toll subsequently rising to twenty.

The accident has reverberated through the sports community, with many athletes and officials grappling with the tragedy. Ado Salisu, a former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), confirmed that victims were still being transported to Kura General Hospital for medical attention.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has also corroborated the accident, although the precise number of fatalities and injured individuals remains to be verified.

“We have just received the report of the accident, so I cannot confirm the exact number of casualties at present,” said Abdullahi Labaran, Public Relations Officer of the FRSC, Kano Sector Command.

The National Sports Festival, also referred to as the Gateway Games, took place in Abeokuta from March 28 to April 10, 2023. The Kano Contingent had participated in the festival, which showcased various sports competitions among states in Nigeria.

The tragic accident has cast a shadow of sorrow over the sports community, prompting calls for enhanced safety measures to avert such incidents in the future.