21 persons die as Jigawa bridge collapses

At least 21 persons, including 11 disqualified military recruitment applicants, died on Sunday after a bridge collapsed in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Residents of the area said the bridge collapsed due to a heavy flood.

Twenty-one persons have been killed and one injured after a bridge on the Gwaram/Basirka road in Jigawa State collapsed.

Jigawa State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Namadi, who visited the scene confirmed the incident to journalists on Sunday.

He said the identification of the victims had started, adding that corpses whose identities could not be ascertained would be moved to a mortuary in Dutse the state capital.

Chairperson, Jigawa Civil Society Forum, Musbahu Basirka, said the victims were travelling in a Hummer commuter bus from Kano to Adamawa when the incident happened.

Jigawa State Government on August 6 announced a diversion of traffic from the highway linking the state and Kano with North-East Nigeria over concerns for another weak bridge could collapse following heavy downpours.

The state government had urged commuters to use alternative routes to allow work on the bridge.

The police spokesperson in Jigawa, Lawan Adam, said they responded to a distress call following the incident.

“It involved one Hummer bus with registration noumber FYK 406 ZA Gombe State, conveying 18 passengers from Kano State to Adamawa State and a Canter lorry, conveying three passengers, falling into a ditch.

“Victims were evacuated to Basirka Hospital. Twenty passengers have been confirmed dead by medical doctor while one Simon Chinapi ‘M’aged 26 yrs of Mubi Adamawa State survived the accident.

“Commissioner of Police Jigawa State Police Command, CP Aliyu S Tafida, psc in accompany with AC – Ops, DPO, Gwaram and other officers have visited the scene and directed prompt and discrete investigation into the incident,” the police spokesperson said.