ABUJA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Eleven bridesmaids were confirmed dead following a road accident after a local wedding in Nigeria's northwestern city of Kano, the road safety police said on Sunday.

The women were accompanying the newly-wed home late Saturday when the driver of their vehicle lost control and hit a tollgate in Kano, said Kabir Ibrahim-Daura, spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps in the northern state.

According to Ibrahim-Daura, the vehicle in which they were traveling instantly split into two, causing eight among the women to die on the spot.

Three other women died later at the hospital, the spokesman said.

The road safety police official said another three women and the male driver were still at the hospital receiving medical treatment.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the accident was caused by over-speeding, he added.