At least 25 children on religious trip die in bus accident in Nigeria

The organizers of the pilgrimage reported a high number of victims, 40, and 31 were injured.

The accident occurred on Sunday when the bus, overloaded with young followers of the Tijjaniyya Sufi order, lost control and collided with a truck in Lere district, said Kabiru Nadabo, head of the local branch of the Nigerian Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

“The bus was overloaded with 63 children and the driver was driving recklessly fast when he lost control and collided with a semi-trailer,” Nadabo said.

“Fifteen of them died on the spot, while 48 injured were taken to different hospitals, ten of whom died the following day, bringing the death toll to 25,” he said.

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The children came from the village of Kwandare and were on their way to the nearby town of Saminaka for the annual Maulud celebrations marking the birth of the Prophet, Nadabo said.

He said the death toll may have changed as the injured were taken to hospitals in different locations and he had not received further information.

Dikko Dahiru, one of the organizers of the trip, said 40 children were killed and 31 injured in the accident.

“The bus was carrying 71 passengers, 36 of whom died immediately, and four others died in hospital the next day,” said Dahiru, whose nephew was among the dead.

“Thirty-one were taken to hospital with serious injuries, eleven of them in critical condition,” he said.

Nigeria's poorly maintained roads are prone to traffic accidents, mostly caused by speeding and disregard for traffic rules.