Eid-el-Maulud: Dozens of Muslim worshippers killed in bus collision in Nigeria

NEW DELHI: At least 36 people have died in a bus collision in northern Nigeria's Kaduna state, according to an official at the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency. The victims, mostly Muslim worshippers, were travelling to Saminaka for the Eid-el-Maulud celebration, which marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

The fatal crash occurred near the town of Lere when the bus collided with an oncoming truck, according to Ahmad Dayyabu, the organiser of the Eid event.

According to Ahmad Dayyabu, the organiser of the Eid celebration, the bus collided with an oncoming truck on its way to Saminaka due to inefficient implementation of safety measures. Such road collisions are not uncommon in Nigeria as both drivers and passengers disregard safety measures resulting in fatal accidents.

However, the event organiser told news agency BBC that up to 40 people had died and 31 more were being treated in hospital. “They took off from the town of Kwandare on their way to here, Saminaka. On reaching the town of Lere, their vehicle was run over by a trailer truck," he said.
According to the officials, the bus was overloaded with 71 people among which at least 36 died and others were injured.

The government declared a public holiday on Monday to celebrate this year's Eid-el-Maulud and the victims were on their way to the northern town of Saminaka to celebrate the festival.

As per official data, more than 1,470 people have died in road collisions across Nigeria in the first quarter of 2024 which comes down to around 16 people per day on average due to loosely implemented safety measures.