The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of seven journalists in a fatal road accident involving a bus belonging to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Gombe State.
The accident, which occurred on Monday evening, also left four other journalists injured. The victims were reportedly returning from a wedding ceremony in the Gombe South Senatorial District when the crash happened.
The deceased and injured journalists were part of a delegation that had travelled to celebrate a colleague working with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) who was getting married.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, the Gombe State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Samson Kaura, said a total of 11 persons were involved in the lone crash.
“From the information available to us, 11 people were involved in the crash. Sadly, seven of them died on the spot, while four others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” Kaura said.
He explained that preliminary findings suggested that the accident was a lone crash, likely caused by a tyre burst.
“It is a lone accident, and from what we have gathered so far, it is very fatal. Although investigations are still ongoing, I suspect it may have been a tyre burst. Perhaps the driver applied the brakes suddenly, which caused the vehicle to somersault,” he stated.
Kaura added that FRSC rescue teams were immediately deployed to the scene and were still carrying out rescue and recovery operations as of the time of filing this report.
“Our officers are still on the ground conducting rescue operations. We have not concluded the full assessment yet, but a comprehensive report will be released after the operation is completed,” he said.
He further disclosed that the injured journalists were taken to nearby health facilities for medical treatment, while the corps would continue its investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.
The incident has thrown the media community in Gombe State and beyond into mourning, with colleagues and professional bodies expressing shock over the tragic loss.
