At least six people lost their lives near Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, after a trailer loaded with cement crashed into multiple vehicles and erupted in flames, police confirmed on Wednesday.
The tragic incident occurred on a highway near the Nyanya Bridge in Ayo, approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Abuja. According to a statement from the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, the trailer lost control and plowed into 14 vehicles that were stuck in traffic.
“The impact engulfed fourteen vehicles in a raging inferno,” the police statement read, describing the chaos that ensued as bystanders and motorists scrambled for safety.
Rescue teams managed to pull six victims from the wreckage and rushed them to the hospital, but medical personnel later confirmed their deaths.
Fatal truck accidents are common in Nigeria, where the absence of an efficient railway system forces heavy reliance on road transport for cargo movement.
This tragedy follows another devastating incident in January, when a gasoline tanker explosion in north-central Nigeria’s Suleja area killed 98 people. The blast occurred as individuals attempted to transfer fuel from a crashed tanker using a generator, while others gathered to scoop gasoline.
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