Seventeen persons have been confirmed dead, while two others remain missing, after a commercial bus carrying wedding guests plunged into a river in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The victims were travelling from Fass village in Gummi to Kebbi State to hand over a bride to her husband after the wedding Fatiha when tragedy struck over the weekend.
According to a statement by Isa Aliyu, Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Zamfara Command, the accident occurred when the overloaded bus attempted to cross a bridge that had collapsed earlier in the week.
Residents had been using sandbags to create a makeshift passage across the weakened structure, but the heavy weight of the passenger bus caused the bridge to give way, leading to the fatal plunge.
FRSC Sector Commander, Aliyu Ma’aji, expressed condolences to the government and people of Zamfara State over the incident. He cautioned motorists against overloading and travelling late at night, urging them to always seek information on road conditions before setting out on any journey.
The Corps also commended local stakeholders and community members who assisted in rescuing some of the passengers.
Search operations for the missing persons are ongoing.
