At least 19 persons lost their lives after a vehicle conveying a bride and her family members collapsed into a river following the collapse of the dilapidated Gwalli bridge at Fass community in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at about 4:45 pm when the vehicle carrying the wedding guests plunged from the weakened bridge into the water beneath, killing men, women and children.
The victims are said to be family members of late Sheikh Dauda Fass, a former member of the State House of Assembly.
A resident, Babangida Halifa Ibrahim Fass, who lost relatives in the accident, said the tragedy struck while his newlywed sister was being taken to her husband’s home in Jega community.
“The car fell from the bridge into the water. As they were brought out, we found 19 of them d3ad, including men, women and children,” he said.
The bridge which links several towns and villages in the area, had been in a state of disrepair for years.
The bridge was reported to have been rehabilitated during the administration of former Governor Abdulazeez Yari. However, it was eroded by heavy rainfall seven years ago, leaving the community to fend for themselves.
Earlier this year, residents of Gwalli, Yar Gusau and Fass villages through communal effort, carried out sand-filling to patch the damaged section, but the structure eventually gave way, resulting in the devastating incident.
Community leaders have described the tragedy as “avoidable” and called on the Federal Government and the Zamfara State Government to urgently intervene.
They appealed for immediate relief materials to support the bereaved family and long-term action to reconstruct the collapsed bridge, which remains a vital lifeline for trade, transportation, and social connections in the region.
“This is not just a Gwalli problem, but a crisis affecting the entire Bardoki word in Gummi axis,” one resident lamented. “We urge the authorities to come to our aid before more lives are lost.”
The community is now mourning deeply, while fears mount that continued neglect of critical infrastructure could expose more rural dwellers to similar fate.
