Nigeria’s Kano State declared Monday as a day of mourning after 22 people died in a road accident while returning from a sports festival in the south-west of the country.

Athletes, coaches, officials, medical staff and a journalist were among the fatalities when a state bus carrying the team veered off the road and overturned around the town of Dakatsalle, approximately 40km from Kano, on Saturday.

A further nine people were injured in the accident, while one person travelling on the bus did not sustain an injury.

The contingent was making a journey of over 1,000km back from the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, which had concluded on Friday.

Shehu Dikko, the chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission (NSC), said the accident marked “a very sad day for Nigerian sports”.

“We are heartbroken by this tragedy,” Dikko added in a statement.

“These were promising athletes and dedicated officials who had just served their state and country with pride. Their loss is immeasurable.”

The National Sports Festival, which marked its 22nd edition this year, is a key event in Nigeria’s sporting calendar and is aimed at promoting unity, youth engagement and national development through athletics.

The accident has cast a shadow over what had been a successful competition for Kano State, with the team collecting a total of 29 medals.

BBC Sport Africa understands that some of the state’s medal winners are among the deceased.