No fewer than 19 wedding guests were burnt to death in a road accident in the Kwana Macji area of Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The victims, who hailed from Kano State, were returning home after attending a wedding ceremony in Barkin Ladi when their vehicle was involved in the incident.
Confirming the development, John Dasar, Chairman of the Pankshin LGA Emergency Management Committee, revealed that the vehicle caught fire during rescue efforts, trapping and killing 19 passengers.
“The accident occurred on Saturday,” Dasar said. “The victims were from Kano and had taken a shorter route through Gindiri to Bauchi. Unfortunately, while people were helping them out of the vehicle, it caught fire and trapped the deceased.”
While some passengers, including the driver, managed to escape, the survivors sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“They were initially taken to Pankshin General Hospital before being transferred to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for intensive care, as arranged by Pankshin LGA Chairman Felix Gonung.
“Accompanied by Health Councillor Lengyang Tali, the Police Divisional Officer, and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Gonung also ensured that those with minor injuries were treated and transported back to Kano State,” he added.