No fewer than two persons have been confirmed dead, while six others sustained serious injuries in a road traffic accident involving a heavy- duty truck along the Gombe– Yola Road in Gombe State.

The incident occurred at about 10:20 pm on Tuesday at New Mile 3, near the entrance to the main dual carriageway along the Gombe axis.

According to reports, the accident involved a long open- body truck loaded with bags of rice, which was allegedly improperly parked at the location.

Confirming the incident, the Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters and Intergovernmental Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Danbayo, said preliminary investigations pointed to negligence on the part of the truck driver.

Danbayo explained that the truck was parked without the handbrake being properly engaged, causing it to move uncontrollably and crash into a Mach Operations Hattara Toyota Hilux vehicle.

He added that the truck also struck people who were at the scene, including a member of the Hattara vigilante group and another passenger whose identity could not be immediately confirmed.

“The impact was severe, leading to the death of two persons at the scene, while six others