What was meant to be a joyful wedding procession ended in devastating loss on Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Zamfara State. A vehicle carrying a newlywed bride and her relatives plunged into a river after an old, crumbling bridge gave way—killing 19 people on board.
The accident happened around 4:45 pm in the Fass community of Gummi Local Government Area. The vehicle had just left for Jega, where the bride was to be welcomed into her new home, when it attempted to cross the Gwalli bridge—a bridge long known by locals to be dangerously unstable.
According to eyewitnesses and grieving family members, the moment was harrowing. The vehicle dropped from the collapsing structure straight into the river below, leaving no chance for survival. Among the victims were men, women, and children—all related to the late Sheikh Dauda Fass, a respected former lawmaker in the state.
One of the locals, Babangida Halifa Ibrahim Fass, who lost several relatives in the crash, shared the heartbreaking aftermath. “We pulled them out of the water,” he said quietly. “Nineteen lives gone—just like that.”
The Gwalli bridge, once a key connector between villages like Fass, Yar Gusau, and Gwalli, has been deteriorating for years. While it was reportedly refurbished during ex-Governor Abdulazeez Yari’s tenure, intense rainfall seven years ago washed away most of the work. Since then, residents have taken it upon themselves to make makeshift repairs using sand and local materials.
But their efforts weren’t enough. And on that fateful day, the bridge finally gave out.
Community leaders, already overwhelmed with grief, are now voicing anger and frustration. They believe this disaster could—and should—have been prevented. They’ve renewed calls for immediate intervention from both the state and federal governments, not just for emergency relief, but for a full reconstruction of the bridge.
“This isn’t just about one village,” a resident said. “This bridge connected an entire region. It connected lives. Now look what’s happened.”
In the days following the tragedy, the atmosphere in the affected communities is heavy with mourning. Funeral prayers have been held. Tears have been shed. And everywhere, the same question echoes: How many more lives must be lost before something is done?
Joy Turns to Mourning in Zamfara as 19 Wedding Guests Die in River Crash After Bridge Collapse
