Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Gombe State has lost five of its staff in a road accident.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the incident saying that it was a lone accident and that it happened on Billiri – Gombe Road in Ladongor community of Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State.
It said though they were seven persons that died in the accident but five of them were staff of NTA while two others were not.
The Sector Commander, Mr Samson Kaura, confirmed the accident in an interview with newsmen in Gombe on Monday.
Kaura said the crash involved a Toyota Hummer bus bearing registration number: NUJ – 01, occurred at about 5:30 pm on Monday.
He said a preliminary investigation linked the cause of the crash to a tyre burst,
The commander said five of the seven deceased were staff of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Gombe, while four other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Kaura said the corps rescue team initially evacuated the victims to Amana Clinic and General Hospital Billiri, and later referred to the Specialist Hospital, Gombe
He said the corpses had been deposited at the Specialist Hospital, Gombe.
The commander cautioned motorists to always check the expiration date of tyres to avoid burst, adding that expired tyres risk burst anytime.
Kaura sympathized with the management of NTA and the NUJ family in the state over the loss.
Two out of the five deceased NTA staff included the station’s Managers of Administration and News.
They were returning from the wedding ceremony of one of their colleagues in Kaltungo town of Kaltungo LGA.