At least 19 wedding guests have died in a road accident in the Kwana Macji area of Pankshin Local Government Area, Plateau State.
TheNewsGuru gathered that the victims, hailing from Kano State, were on their way back from a wedding in Barkin Ladi when the vehicle caught fire during the rescue operations, trapping and killing the victims.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Pankshin LGA Emergency Management Committee, John Dasar, explained that the passengers had opted for a shorter route from Gindiri to Bauchi when the accident took place.
Dasar explained that while some individuals, including the driver, managed to escape the flames, the 19 passengers were unable to survive.
“The accident occurred on Saturday. 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,” he said.
The survivors, who sustained various injuries, were initially treated at Pankshin General Hospital before being transferred to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for further care.
The Pankshin LGA Chairman, Felix Gonung, coordinated the transfer, accompanied by Health Councillor Lengyang Tali, the Police Divisional Officer, and Federal Road Safety Corps officials.