‘Gruesome’ crash kills 21, mostly young children, in Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria – Nigeria’s president is expressing sadness over a “gruesome vehicle accident” in which 21 people, most of them young school children, were killed.

The accident occurred Wednesday in Awgu, Enugu state, when a truck lost control and hit a school bus conveying 61 children. A teacher also was among the dead.

The children were with the Presentation Nursery and Primary School, which is run by the Catholic diocese of Awgu.

President Muhammadu Buhari asked vehicle owners to ensure roadworthiness, “as initial reports attributed the accident to brake failure by the truck involved.”

Serious accidents with high death tolls are common in Nigeria due to poorly maintained vehicles, reckless driving and bad roads.