20 die in Plateau road crash

File photo of an accident scene

At least 20 persons died on Friday in a motor accident at Hawan Kibo in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The crash occurred at about 5:00 pm along the notorious Hawan Kibo bend, throwing the surrounding community into panic.

Confirming the casualty figure to Saturday PUNCH during a telephone interview in Jos, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Plateau State, Corps Commander Adelaja Ogungbemi, attributed the crash to mechanical failure.

“Yes, it is true; there was an accident this evening at the Hawan Kibo area in the Riyom LGA of Plateau State.

“It was a terrible accident, and our officers are right there at the scene on a rescue operation. They have evacuated many injured persons to the hospital, and others are still being taken to the hospital right now.

“At the moment, I can confirm to you that 20 people have been confirmed dead from the accident,” Ogungbemi said.

Speaking on the cause of the disaster, the sector commander stated that the vehicle suffered a brake failure while descending the hill.

“It was a brake failure, and we will continue to advise motorists to always check their vehicles before driving and drive carefully, especially when negotiating a bend,” he urged.

An eyewitness, Moses Gyang, who arrived at the scene shortly after the crash, described the incident as devastating.

“I was close by when it happened around 5:00 pm. The vehicle lost control while descending the hill, and it was a terrible sight as people were shouting for help,” he said.

Another eyewitness, Max Nenyang, noted that rescue efforts were initially hampered by the crowd that gathered at the scene.

“We have not seen such an accident here in recent times. Many people were lying on the ground, and while FRSC officers arrived quickly to transport the injured to the hospital, many had already died.”