A 18-seater bus ferrying prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from Adeyemi Federal University of Education (AFUED), Ondo State, was involved in a fatal accident yesterday while en route to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Gombe State.

Preliminary reports indicate that 16 of the 18 passengers, predominantly recent graduates, are feared dead, while the remaining two are in critical condition.

The crash occurred on a northern highway and is believed to have resulted from the driver losing control of the vehicle.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced that a thorough investigation into the incident will be conducted.

At the time of reporting, neither the NYSC nor the Presidency had released official statements regarding the tragedy.