Tragedy struck in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State as a bus fire claimed the lives of four passengers and left ten others hospitalized.
The spokesperson for the Jigawa State Police Command, Lawan Shiisu, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday, February 23, in Dutse.
According to the police, the fire broke out around 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, when a commercial Hummer bus carrying 44 passengers from Zaki Local Government Area of Bauchi State to Gwaram LGA was engulfed by flames.
The police report stated that the fire was caused by a mattress tied to the back of the bus, which caught fire after coming into contact with the vehicle’s exhaust.
“As a result, four persons—Zuwairah Hassan (40), Fatima Hassan (5), Iyatale Hassan (3), and Halima Muhammad (10), all from Saldiga village in Zaki LGA—were burnt beyond recognition,” Shiisu said.
Emergency responders rushed the injured passengers to Gwaram Cottage Hospital for treatment, while the remains of the deceased were released to their families for burial after a medical examination.