Tragedy struck in Zamfara State on Saturday as no fewer than 19 passengers lost their lives when a commercial bus conveying a bride and wedding guests plunged into a river while attempting to cross a broken bridge between Gwalli village and Gummi town.

The victims were travelling from Fass village in Gummi Local Government Area to Kebbi State to hand over the bride to her husband after the wedding ceremony.

Eyewitnesses said the driver, unfamiliar with the terrain, attempted to navigate the collapsed bridge, which had been patched with sandbags and stones by villagers, when the bus slipped and overturned into the river.

Ishiak Ahmed, an eyewitness, explained that the bus skidded off the makeshift passage, leading to the drowning of several passengers.

A relative of the victims, Usman, said the bus was overloaded and scraped against the rocks used to fill the washed-away portion of the bridge, prompting the driver to stop and inspect the vehicle.

“The bride and a few others stepped out of the bus, but while the driver was still outside, the vehicle suddenly lurched to the side, overturned, and plunged into the river,” Usman recounted.

According to him, 19 people died in the incident. Seventeen bodies have been recovered, while two remain missing. The bride and those who had stepped out survived.

Community members have called on authorities to urgently repair the bridge to prevent further tragedies.

Deputy Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Adamu Aliyu Gummi, who represents Gummi II Constituency, confirmed the incident and described it as heartbreaking.

He lamented that the bridge has remained in disrepair for over five years despite repeated appeals.

“The people have used over 2,000 sandbags to patch the bridge, yet lives continue to be lost every rainy season,” he said, urging government intervention.

Meanwhile, the Zamfara Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the death of 17 people in the crash.

In a statement, the Sector Command’s Public Education Officer, SRC Isah Aliyu, said the accident occurred after the bridge, which collapsed earlier in the week, gave way despite residents’ makeshift repairs.

FRSC Sector Commander Maaji advised motorists to avoid night journeys, desist from overloading, and seek updated information on road conditions before travelling.