A major tragedy occurred in Aba, Abia State, on Friday after the Osisioma Flyover suddenly collapsed following the passage of a heavily loaded cement truck, leaving at least 10 people feared dead and several others injured.
Eyewitnesses say most of the victims were street vendors and pedestrians who were under the bridge when it gave way.
Emergency responders, including the police, fire service, and state disaster teams, were still clearing debris as of press time, with fears that more bodies might be trapped beneath the rubble.
Preliminary information indicates that the flyover collapsed moments after a fully loaded cement truck drove over it.
Residents said the vibrations caused by heavy-duty trucks have long raised concerns about the structural integrity of the bridge.
A trader who witnessed the incident said, “We heard a loud crack, then everything came down at once. People were shouting and running. It was terrible.”
The flyover was commissioned only a few years ago.
Some residents blamed poor construction standards and years of alleged infrastructural neglect under previous administrations.
One resident, expressing outrage at the scene, said:
“This tragedy was waiting to happen. The quality of the work should be thoroughly investigated. Those responsible must answer questions. If a bridge built just a few years ago can collapse like this, something is wrong.”
While some citizens specifically accused former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration of supervising substandard work, experts have urged caution, noting that only a proper engineering investigation can determine the real cause.
A structural engineer who spoke to DAILY GAZETTE said it was too early to conclude, but noted that, “A modern flyover should not fail this catastrophically unless there were severe design, construction, or maintenance issues combined with overloading.”
