Collapsed bridge: Firm will pay compensation to victims’ families — Kwankwaso

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State has vowed to ensure that the local construction firm handling the pedestrian bridge, which collapsed along Sheik Jafar road paid adequate compensation to families of the seven victims of Sunday evening incident at Dorayi suburb in the metropolis.

The state police command confirmed that no fewer than seven people were killed when the bridge collapsed, saying that”Criminal investigation has commenced against the contractor and he would face charges if found wanting.”

This was even as a man on tricycle escaped death by whiskers when the concrete slab on the collapsed foot bridge caved in and broke the rickshaw into two yesterday.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Magaji Majiya, spoke on the incident in an interview with newsmen in Kano.

However, the governor’s position was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Press in the Government House, Halilu Dantiye.

“Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso has vowed to ensure that the victims and their families are adequately compensated by the company,” Dantiye said adding that “doing so will avoid a lot of of unnecessary consequences.”

The statement further admonished citizens to be patient and continue to be law abiding.

The statement further urged companies undertaking numerous construction work in the state to continue doing their work in a manner that would ensure minimum discomfort to road users.

The governor, who condoled with the families of the victims also prayed for the quick recovery of the injured ones who are currently in the hospital.

Meanwhile, Majiya said the incident happened around 4:45 p.m. when the bridge, which was still under construction, caved in and collapsed on a car passing underneath it.

“The workers at the site had warned motorists not to pass because they were working on the bridge but the driver of the taxi allegedly ignored the warning.

‘’So, the moment he moved; before he passed, the bridge caved in and collapsed on the vehicle, which led to the death of seven persons,” he said.

According to him, the vehicle has since been evacuated from the scene while the corpses have been deposited at a hospital morgue.