By Ishola Michael
Eyewitnesses accounts said at least 40 people were injured in Gombe on Christmas day during a procession by Christians along Bauchi road when a commercial vehicle conveying rice lost control and rammed into the people.
Gombe State Police Command said 22 people sustained varying injuries while no life was lost. The crowd was heading to the Government House and Palace of the Emir of Gombe for the traditional Christmas homage before the incident.
Our Correspondent gathered the Christians had just finished the Christmas service from their various Churches in Tunfure and gathered before for homage while singing, praises and dancing in high spirit of joy and happiness.
The State Command of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) through the Public Education and Enlightenment Officer, Janet Kassa, confirmed the incident and, "Yes the incident occurred while the procession was headed to the emirs palace.”
“29 victims were taken to Specialist Hospital while 12 to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe,” she said.
She added that, "Location of the crash was by the Bank of Industry, along Gombe - Tumfure road. There was no death at the time of rescue operations."
Meanwhile, Police Command also confirmed the incident, saying that a Sharon vehicle loaded with bags of rice lost control and ran into the procession and injured not less than 22 persons but no life was lost.
The Police Spokesperson, ASP Buhari Abdullahi, stated that the victims were evacuated to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) for medical attention.
He added that the vehicle was burnt down by an angry mob while the driver escaped to an unknown destination while efforts have been intensified to locate and get him arrested for further investigations.
Combined teams of Police Officers led by Deputy Commissioner Operations Gombe Command and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Leadership in the State are fully on ground and in control of the situation to calm it down.
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