17 Wedding Guests Die In Zamfara Collapsed Bridge
Seventeen lives were lost in a devastating road accident in Zamfara State after a commercial bus carrying a bride and her wedding entourage plunged into a river while attempting to cross a collapsed bridge between Gwalli village and Gummi town.
The fatal incident occurred on Saturday as the group traveled from Fass village in Gummi Local Government Area to Kebbi State to formally hand over the bride to her husband following the wedding Fatiha. Eyewitnesses reported that the driver, unfamiliar with the terrain, tried to navigate a damaged bridge that locals had temporarily reinforced with sandbags and stones. The bus lost balance on the unstable surface and overturned into the river, resulting in the drowning of most passengers.
So far, 17 bodies have been recovered, while two individuals remain unaccounted for. The bride and a few others who had exited the vehicle moments before the crash survived the ordeal.
Confirming the incident, the Zamfara State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) stated that the victims were predominantly women. According to SRC Isah Aliyu, the FRSC Public Education Officer, the accident happened along Gwalli Road after the bridge, lready weakened by recent rains, gave way.
Aliyu explained that despite local efforts to make the bridge passable, the makeshift repairs failed under the weight of the bus. FRSC Sector Commander Aliyu Ma’aji urged motorists to avoid traveling at night, refrain from overloading vehicles, and always verify road conditions before setting out.
The tragedy has sparked renewed calls for urgent infrastructural intervention in rural communities across Zamfara State.
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