Tragedy struck in Zamfara State on Saturday when a commercial bus conveying a bride and her wedding guests plunged into a river while attempting to cross a broken bridge between Gwalli village and Gummi town.
The passengers were travelling from Fass village in Gummi Local Government Area to Kebbi State to hand over the bride to her husband after the wedding Fatiha.
Eyewitnesses said the driver, unfamiliar with the route, attempted to navigate the damaged bridge, which had been temporarily patched with sandbags and stones by villagers. The bus slipped off the makeshift passage and overturned into the river, drowning most of the passengers.
So far, 17 bodies have been recovered, while two persons remain missing. The bride and a few passengers, who had stepped out of the bus before the incident, survived.
Confirming the tragedy, the Zamfara State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) reported that most of the victims were women.
In a statement, FRSC Public Education Officer, SRC Isah Aliyu, explained that the bridge had collapsed earlier in the week. Residents attempted to create a temporary crossing with sandbags, but it failed, leading to the disaster.
FRSC Zamfara Sector Commander, Aliyu Ma’aji, advised motorists to avoid night travel, desist from overloading, and always seek updated information on road conditions before embarking on journeys.
