Major bridge collapses in Cross River

By Frank Ulom

A major bridge of one of the federal roads in Cross River State, Mangor Bridge, has collapsed.

CONVERSEER gathered that the bridge, located in Mangor, Oban in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state, collapsed on Wednesday, 17th April, leaving commuters stranded.

According to a source, the bridge collapsed when a heavy-duty truck was trying to pass through.

“The youths are trying to create an alternative route through the water for some vehicles to pass but if it starts raining and the water rises, no vehicle will be able to pass,” the source said.

Inspecting the bridge, the State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Ankpo Pius Edet, expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring that the bridge is fixed as soon as possible.

Ankpo who said he was sent by Governor Bassey Otu as soon as he got the information, sympathised with the Mangor Community as well as stranded motorists over the collapsed bridge.

The Commissioner said the Governor is particularly saddened by the unfortunate event and the deplorable state of infrastructure in Akamkpa.

He said the Government of Cross River State will do everything possible to reduce the suffering currently faced by the people of Mangor, Oban ward.

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Speaking to stranded motorists as well as members of the community, the Commissioner said, “We came here as a team to empathise and find an immediate solution to what we can do to draw the attention of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the disaster.”

On his part, the member representing Akamkpa II State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Linus Etim, applauded Governor Otu for his quick response to the plight of the people of Akamkpa II State Constituency, following the collapse of the Mangor bridge.

In his remark, Hon Raphael Innougha, Community Relations Officer to the Governor, said the youths are ready to protect travellers and their goods as they find an alternative route.

He advised everyone to keep on going about their normal businesses, adding that, “the governor is doing everything possible to ameliorate the pains of the people.”

Engr. Adebisi Osim, Federal Comptroller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works, Cross River State, and other government functionaries, were present during the inspection of the collapsed bridge.

See photos of the collapsed bridge below.