A fatal motor accident has claimed the lives of 17 people and injured 14 others in Katsina State.

Confirming the incident on Monday, police authorities in the state noted that the accident involved a motor DAF trailer.

The spokesman for the Katsina State Police Command, Gambo Isah, explained that the accident occurred on Sunday night along the Mai’addua – Shargalle Road in Mashi Local Government Area of the state.

“On 19/01/2020 at about 21:40hrs, a fatal motor accident occurred along Mai’addua – Shargalle Road exactly at Yardudu village, Mashi LGA of Katsina State involving a motor vehicle DAF trailer with registration No. XE 611 KTN driven by one Sale Hangay, m, aged 35yrs of Katsina.

“The accident occurred when the driver was coming from Mai’addu’a LGA of Katsina state heading to Lagos State with the said trailer fully loaded with cows and passengers,” he said in a statement.

On reaching the scene of the accident, the command’s spokesman said the head of the trailer got disengaged from the carrier and fell under the bridge.

He added that the victims were evacuated to a Primary Healthcare Center in Mashi, where 17 passengers were confirmed dead while 14 other passengers were admitted for various injuries sustained.

“The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Sanusi Buba, is commiserating with the good people of Katsina State over the unfortunate incident,” the statement said.

According to Isah, the police commissioner has summoned a meeting with all the relevant stakeholders in the transport industry in the state.