At least 20 Kano athletes die in fatal accident returning from national sports festival

A wave of sorrow has engulfed Kano State and the Nigerian sports community following a tragic accident that claimed the lives of at least 20 athletes from the state’s contingent to the recently concluded National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The horrific incident occurred on Saturday at the Dakatsalle Bridge in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State, as the team was returning home after participating in the national competition.

According to reports, the bus was carrying 30 team members when it plunged off the bridge, leading to multiple fatalities and serious injuries. Emergency services rushed to the scene, and efforts to rescue survivors and retrieve the bodies of the victims were immediately launched.

Confirming the incident, Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, said the crash had taken a heavy toll on the team.“As I am talking to you now, we have counted 19 dead bodies,” Fagge stated, adding that several others had sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Ado Salisu, a former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), also confirmed that the injured were being transported to the Kura General Hospital for treatment.

The Kano Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also acknowledged the accident. Its Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Labaran, said the agency had just received the report.“We just received the report of the accident, so, I cannot confirm the exact number of casualties at the moment,” he noted.

The incident has sent shockwaves across the state and the sports community, casting a somber shadow over what had been a celebratory national sporting event.