16 Killed as Buses Crash Head-on in Nigeria

Authorities say 16 people are dead in Nigeria after two buses crashed head-on into each other on a highway.

Sunday Maku of the Federal Road Safety Commission told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the collision happened after one of the buses tried to overtake another vehicle on the highway. He said the buses crashed in Kogi state in central Nigeria on Monday.

Car crashes are common on Nigeria’s poorly maintained roads. Drivers often travel at high speed and overtake slower vehicles, leading to such head-on collisions and high death rates.

Even main cities are linked by pitted, two-lane roads crammed with passenger buses, trucks laden with goods and rickety private vehicles.