Road accident in southwestern Nigeria kills 9, injures 11

USPA News - At least nine people were killed Thursday and eleven others were injured when a truck collided with a minibus on a road in southwestern Nigeria, authorities said on Friday. Road accidents are common in the African country with thousands of deaths every year.

The accident happened at about 1:30 p.m. local time on Thursday when a truck collided with a Toyota HiAce minibus in front of Gbongan Community High School in Gbongan, a large town in Osun State. The collision happened on a highway connecting Gbongan and the nearby city of Ife. A spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said nine people were killed, including six women and three men, while eleven others were injured. "The injured and the corpses were deposited at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital," the spokesperson said, reminding motorists to be careful in the new year. The exact cause of Thursday`s accident was not immediately known, but police believe speeding by one of the vehicles may have caused or contributed to the collision. Road accidents are common in Nigeria, many of which are attributed to reckless driving, aging vehicles and poorly maintained roads.