Death toll rises to 16 in Nigeria road accident

ABUJA - Nigeria's traffic police on Sunday said the death toll of a road accident in the country's central Plateau State rose from seven to 16, after obtaining a comprehensive report of the incident.

A total of 99 people were involved in the accident, out of which 16 had been confirmed killed and 83 others injured, Peter Longsan, a spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps in Plateau, said in a statement Sunday afternoon, attributing the incident to excessive speeding and overloading.

Longsan earlier Sunday told reporters in the state capital of Jos that a truck overturned due to loss of control on a road near the Jwak village located in the Mangu local government area late Saturday.

All the injured are being treated in a nearby hospital, Longsan said.

Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving.