At least 15 dead after truck overturns on highway in western Nigeria

At least 15 people were killed and 17 others injured when a cargo truck carrying passengers overturned on a highway in Nigeria's western Kwara state. The incident occurred early Monday morning, involving a truck that was carrying 48 passengers.

Local traffic authorities confirmed that 15 passengers died at the scene, while 17 sustained various injuries, including fractures and severe contusions. Another 16 passengers reportedly escaped unharmed. The accident happened around 2:32 a.m. local time on the Ilorin-Jebba highway, near the towns of Ogbomoso and Oko Olowo, when the vehicle overturned on the road.

Kabir Kazeem, the commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kwara, provisionally attributed the cause of the accident to driver fatigue. Emergency services transported the injured to nearby Arewa and Baki medical centers for urgent treatment. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families through local authorities.

Rescue teams are continuing search operations amid concerns that victims might still be trapped under the vehicle's cargo. Kazeem urged transporters to avoid nighttime travel, extreme fatigue, and the illegal practice of carrying passengers alongside heavy goods.