We learned from consistent sources that at least five people were still missing on Wednesday in the center of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a day after a bridge collapsed and allowed a truck to pass through.
Witnesses claim that the truck traveling to Tshikapa, Kasai province’s capital, was overloaded with construction materials when it crossed the Lovua bridge over the river of the same name.
There were ten people aboard the truck. The head of the sector where the accident occurred, Hubert Mbombo, provided an explanation for the situation. “One of them refused to cross on board this machine, but the others were stubborn.”
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He claims that the bridge, which had been severely damaged for a number of years, and the truck with its nine occupants both fell into the river. The victims’ remains have not been located.
In the meantime, Kasa’s Member of Parliament Guy Mafuta listed seven missing people, while Gaston Nkole, the vice governor, listed five: two men, a woman, and two children.
Mr. Nkole, who was interviewed by AFP, said that the bridge was designed to support 10 to 15 tons, while the vehicle was carrying approximately 30 tons of cement and stones.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), road bridges that are in poor condition and are used by heavy loads frequently collapse, particularly during the rainy season.