·Death toll hits 15 - Resident

A survivor, Yunusa Yusuf Imawa, has narrated how he escaped death by whiskers and lost four boys working with him in a truck accident that claimed the lives of 15 worshippers.

Imawa said they observed the two rakat Friday prayers in the congregation before the incident happened.

According to him, he sustained injuries including bruises on his leg and hands but he is in stable condition and can move around.

"We were late for the Juma'at mosque prayers because the prayer is usually observed by 2:15pm in the mosque but we left for the mosque around 2:10 pm. We got to the mosque and the prayer was ongoing and so we had to pray by the road mediator (pavement). We have just finished observing the prayers when the vehicle lost control and cross over the road mediator (pavement) into the area we were," the survivor narrated.

"There was a little hold up (go slow) on the road but because the vehicle was on speed, the driver applied brake but it failed and so he negotiated towards the road mediator (pavement).

"I lost four of the boys working with me on the spot. It was God's destiny that I will survive among them."

Meanwhile, a resident of the area, Kabiru Imawa, said the death toll may have risen to 15 with additional one death recorded in the early hours of Saturday.

Recall the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, while confirming the incident on Friday, put the figure of mortalities at 14.

Deputy President of Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, yesterday mourned the victims.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, Barau, commiserated with the families of the deceased.