ABUJA, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and six others sustained varying degrees of injuries in an accident in Kogi, a state in the central part of Nigeria, said a traffic police official on Wednesday.
A bus traveling along the Kabba-Lokoja-Abuja expressway in the state somersaulted after losing a tyre in motion due to high speed, causing the fatal incident on Tuesday, said Stephen Dawulung, a sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, while briefing reporters on the incident in Lokoja, capital of Kogi.
"If the driver was not at high speed, the accident might not have occurred or it could have been mild," Dawulung said. "It is unfortunate that most times, you see drivers competing on the roads for no just cause but only to put their lives and those of their passengers at risk."
A total of 11 people were involved in the lone bus accident, according to the traffic police officer. One person was unhurt, he said, hinting that the bus driver was among the injured victims.
Dawulung said all injured victims were taken to a hospital in the neighboring town of Obajana, while the remains of the deceased were deposited in a morgue.
"We always advise that drivers should adhere to stipulated speed limits as provided for all categories of vehicles," the official said, noting all commuter bus drivers had been sensitized on how to conduct routine checks on their vehicles, including tyres before embarking on any journey. ■