At least 19 athletes representing Kano State have been confirmed dead following a catastrophic accident on Saturday at Dakatsalle Bridge in Kura Local Government Area.

The athletes were reportedly en route from Abeokuta, Ogun State, where they had participated in the recently concluded National Sports Festival.

Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, who confirmed the tragic incident, explained that the bus transporting the contingent veered off a bridge, resulting in the deaths of the majority onboard.

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“As I am talking to you now, we have counted 19 dead bodies,” Fagge stated, adding that several others were injured in the crash and were receiving urgent medical care.

He further noted that the ill-fated vehicle was carrying 30 athletes at the time of the accident.

Ado Salisu, a former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), also commented on the tragedy, revealing that the injured individuals were still being transported to the Kura General Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kano, Abdullahi Labaran, confirmed the incident but said the agency had not yet determined the total number of casualties or those injured.

“We just received the report of the accident, so, I cannot confirm the exact number of casualties at the moment,” he said.

The state has been thrown into mourning as authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash and monitor the condition of the survivors.

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