At least 19 passengers have lost their lives in a road accident in Zamfara State.
The incident occurred when a commercial bus conveying a bride and other wedding guests plunged into a river while attempting to cross a broken bridge between Gwalli village and Gummi town.
The victims were said to be travelling from Fass village in Gummi Local Government Area to Kebbi State to hand over the bride to her husband after the wedding Fatiha.
According to an eyewitness who spoke to newsmen, the driver, unfamiliar with the terrain, attempted to navigate the damaged bridge, which had been temporarily patched with sandbags and stones by villagers.
The eyewitness added that the bus slipped off the makeshift passage and overturned into the river, leading to the drowning of the passengers.
19 bodies have so far been recovered, while two persons remain missing.
However, the bride and a few passengers who had stepped out of the bus before the incident survived.
The Zamfara State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, which confirmed the incident, reported that 19 people, mostly women, died in the crash.
In a statement, the FRSC Public Education Officer, SRC Isah Aliyu, explained that the accident occurred along Gwalli Road after a bridge that collapsed earlier in the week gave way.
He noted that residents had tried to create a makeshift passage with sandbags to enable motorists to cross, but the effort failed, leading to the disaster.
The 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 any journey.
