Tragedy struck in the Fass community of Gummi Local Government Area, Zamfara State, on Sunday when a vehicle carrying wedding attendees plunged into a river, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 individuals, with several others still unaccounted for.
The deceased were primarily relatives of the bride.
According to eyewitness accounts shared on Monday, the accident happened when an old, fragile bridge gave way under the pressure of an overloaded 18-seater bus.
At the time of the mishap, the bus was carrying over 40 passengers, including women and children.
The group was en route to Sakaba village in Wasagu Local Government Area, Kebbi State, when the Toyota Hummer bus suddenly fell into the river.
Witnesses reported that initially, 17 bodies were recovered from the water, with one more found the next day, while several passengers remain missing.
The victims hailed from three communities: Zuru and Jega in Kebbi State, and Fass in Zamfara State. They had gathered in Fass village to travel together to the wedding of the bride, Hafsa Kabiru.
READ ALSO: Azentio unveils next-generation loan platform to transform SME
A local resident explained that the deteriorated bridge was built by community members after government authorities neglected it despite numerous requests for repairs.
“This bridge has been in a state of neglect for over five years and is notoriously dangerous, especially during the rainy season when flooding makes crossing nearly impossible,” the resident said.
“As the bus convoy neared a particularly risky stretch near the broken bridge, the driver tried to carefully maneuver across the unstable structure.”
The victims were family members of the late Sheikh Dauda Fass, a former member of the State House of Assembly.
“The vehicle plunged from the bridge into the river. Upon rescue efforts, 19 people were found dead, including men, women, and children,” the resident added.
“This bridge connects multiple towns and villages in the region but has been left to deteriorate for years.”
“Although the bridge was repaired during the tenure of former Governor Abdulazeez Yari, it was washed away by heavy rains seven years ago, forcing the community to maintain it on their own.”
