At least seven people lost their lives and five others sustained varying degrees of injuries when a trailer rammed into several vehicles and burst into flames at Madalla junction in Suleja, Niger State.

The crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Friday and left some of the victims burned beyond recognition, Daily Trust reported.

Brake failure sparks deadly Niger trailer crash

Witnesses said the trailer, which was heading from the Zuba axis of Abuja, collided with about four vehicles before coming to a halt at a road barrier.

A resident, Saleh Haruna, explained that the disaster followed an earlier minor accident between a commercial bus and a Golf car.

He said the drivers were arguing over compensation when the speeding trailer descended the slope and lost control.

“The two drivers of the affected cars engaged in an argument, with the hummer bus driver offering to pay N200,000 to the owner of the Golf car to replace the screen, who, however, insisted on N400,000 compensation,” Haruna recounted.

The trailer then ran over the bus, partially hit the Golf car and caught fire, burning the bus with passengers trapped inside.

Four passengers of the bus were confirmed dead at the scene, their remains charred beyond recognition before rescuers could pull them out.

Seven survivors, including the trailer driver, were rushed to Lukas Hospital in Madalla, Niger state. Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Ugwoegbu Valentine, said three of the injured later died, while one remains in critical condition.

The driver of the trailer, identified as Sulaiman Rabiu, was taken into police custody at the Madalla Division. Rabiu told reporters that he had set out from Warri in Delta State on Tuesday with a load of livestock feed bound for Kano.

“I arrived Zuba town safely some minutes after 11 a.m. on Friday. However, as I was descending down toward Madalla town, I lost my brake which led to this accident,” he said.

Residents blame construction for fatal Madalla accident

Residents blamed ongoing road construction on the Abuja-Kaduna highway for repeated crashes in the area.

They accused the new contractor handling the project of failing to provide adequate caution signs and safe road shoulders for motorists.

Police at the Madalla Division confirmed the incident and the casualty figures while investigations continue.