Heavy rain that has been pouring in the last few days in Kano state has left hundreds of residents of the Danshana community in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano state, stranded as the only bridge connecting the community with the outside world has been cut off.
The bridge known as ‘Dare Bridge’ is situated in Kureken Sani settlement in the community, located about 10 kilometres outside the state capital, and was built during the first tenure of the administration of former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Eyewitnesses, who spoke to BusinessDay, said that the bridge, which, before now, was in a state of near collapse, finally gave way on Monday night after a heavy downpour that occurred in the community, a situation that is preventing the residents from accessing places of their economic activities.
One of the eyewitnesses, Mustapha Malam, who is residing in the community, while confiding information via telephone conversation, disclosed that the collapse of the bridge is horrifying and devastating.
Speaking in the Hausa language, Mustapha said that the collapse of the bridge is having a far-reaching impact, noting that students, patients, traders, civil servants, and many others who rely on the bridge for their daily survival have been left stranded.
“As I speak to you now, we are all desperately searching for alternative routes to carry on with our daily activities. The only available path requires a long and winding journey, stretching several kilometres and leading to a far-off location”, he stated
Mustapha noted with deep concern the hardship that the collapse of the bridge is causing to movement within and outside the community, especially for young children and women who usually have to travel regularly to the nearby community of Naibawa to attend schools and for medical care.
He lamented that the bridge had been in a bad state for a long time, and representations made to the Local Government Authorities for its repair did not get meaningful action before it eventually collapsed.
“We are grateful that no lives were lost in the incident, as it happened during the night while it was raining,” he said.
He described the terrifying sound of rushing water beneath the collapsed bridge as both alarming and unsettling, adding that an appeal has been made to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for urgent intervention to ease the suffering brought on by this disaster.
He urged parents to closely monitor their children and prevent them from going near the collapsed bridge, emphasising the danger posed by the roaring water.
