A woman was found dead holding her child after ghastly accident in Zamfara state.
Nineteen people lost their lives in the accident when a vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a river from a locally-made bridge in Gwalli village, Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, on Saturday.
The victims were travelling to Sakaba village in Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi to convey a newly wedded bride when the Toyota Hummer model bus carrying 40 of them plunged into the river.
Our source conformed that 21 people among them the bride and driver of the bus survived the accident.
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Eyewitnesses said after the vehicle fell into the water, only 17 corpses were recovered on Saturday, one was recovered the following day (Sunday), while one victim has not been recovered as of the time of filing this report.
The victims were said to be from three different communities of Zuru, Jega in Kebbi State and Fass in Zamfara State.
They all converged on Fass village in the Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara for the wedding ceremony of Hafsa Kabiru.
One of the survivors, Rabi, said that among the victims was a woman found lifeless, still holding her child, both tragically dead.
She said, “I was forced by a friend to get off the bus. She said I should come down and wait for the driver to come back. She convinced me that since she will be on the first trip, I should be patient until the driver returns for the second batch. After a brief argument, I succumbed and alighted from the bus.
“We have lost good friends, and this unfortunate incident will remain in our minds for a very long time.
“However, as Muslim faithful, we have accepted the tragedy as the will of God. We will all die one day. But it is a painful tragedy that I have never witnessed in my life.
“We would have been among the dead victims of the incident if not because we were forced to get out of the bus.
“We were seriously terrified when we watched the bus plunge into the water. We were confused when the car went deep and disappeared in the water.
“We started screaming and calling for help. Though some people arrived on time, that did not save the lives of those inside the bus. All of them were brought out from the bus dead. A lifeless body of a woman among the victims was found glued with her child, and they were all dead.”
