Tragedy struck on Friday in northwest China when part of a railway bridge under construction gave way, killing six workers and leaving ten others injured for.

Witnesses said the arch section of the structure suddenly crumbled, plunging workers and heavy materials into the Yellow River below. Rescue operations were immediately launched, with hundreds of emergency personnel deployed to search for the missing.

One worker at the scene described the moment of collapse as devastating. “We were working when we suddenly heard a loud snap, and before we knew it, the middle of the bridge was gone. Some of our colleagues fell straight into the river,” he recounted, visibly shaken.

Another survivor, who narrowly escaped, said panic broke out instantly. “I was on the edge of the section when it gave way. I just ran. Others didn’t make it,” he explained.

Authorities confirmed that fifteen workers and a project manager were present at the site when the disaster occurred. A preliminary investigation pointed to a steel cable failure as the likely cause.

The bridge, part of the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway, had been hailed as the world’s largest-span double-track continuous steel truss arch bridge and the first of its kind to span the Yellow River. Construction workers had spoken with pride about contributing to such a landmark project before the tragedy.

Rescue teams continued their search late into the night. One official involved in the operation stressed the urgency of the mission. “Every minute counts. We are doing everything possible to find the missing workers,” he said.

The incident has renewed concerns over construction safety in the country. A grieving family member waiting at the site urged authorities to enforce stricter measures. “We don’t want more families to go through this pain. My brother just wanted to do his job and come home,” she said.

As recovery efforts intensify, questions remain about whether this disaster could have been prevented.

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The bridge, part of the yet-to-be-completed interchanges along the highway, was first hit in April by a low-bed truck transporting an excavator. The equipment, reportedly not lowered to meet the 5.6-metre clearance, crashed into the overhead beams. Although the driver was arrested, there has been no update on any legal proceedings since the incident.

Just weeks later, another heavy-duty vehicle conveying a large tank for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited struck the same already weakened structure, compounding the damage. Currently, parts of the concrete beams hang dangerously above traffic, drawing public concern and highlighting official inaction.

Federal Controller of Works for Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, confirmed that five structural beams were affected—two of which require total replacement. She said engineers will conduct a comprehensive study to assess the full extent of the damage and the implications for traffic flow on the critical expressway.

This is not an isolated problem. Similar damage has been reported at other interchanges like Ibafo, while pedestrian bridges in locations such as Keffi and Alapere have collapsed or been severely weakened by collisions with oversized trucks. In the Keffi incident, two people lost their lives and two others sustained injuries when a truck ran into the lone pedestrian bridge in the area.

Authorities estimate the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway accommodates over 40,000 vehicles daily, making structural integrity a matter of national importance. However, weak enforcement of traffic laws, unchecked overloading, and driver recklessness continue to compromise the infrastructure. Trucks often exceed height limits, ram into bridges, or park on them for extended periods, further weakening the structures.

Despite occasional clampdowns like the Lagos State Government’s recent seizure of 10 trucks for violating Third Mainland Bridge access rules offenders are rarely prosecuted with the seriousness their actions warrant. Experts argue that this impunity encourages further violations.

The situation at the Lotto Bridge, in particular, has raised calls for systemic reform. Analysts say a collapse would not only lead to casualties but also paralyse a major transportation artery. To avert disaster, they urge the federal government to accelerate completion of the highway and institute far-reaching reforms.

These include enforcing load restrictions, erecting clear headroom signage, prosecuting violators, and making them bear the cost of damages much like the U.S. state of Massachusetts, which recovered $500,000 in repair costs from a transport company after a similar bridge incident.

Experts also recommend separating truck lanes, restoring weighbridges, deploying surveillance technology, and resuscitating rail and seaport infrastructure to reduce pressure on highways.

As the Lotto Bridge continues to hang by a thread, the message is clear: without decisive action, Nigeria’s busiest highway could become the scene of its next avoidable disaster.

The post Lotto Bridge on Brink of Collapse After Repeated Truck Collisions appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

Shortly after the disaster, officials from the Borno State government and Dr. Ndiame Diop of the World Bank visited the site, promising swift repairs to damaged infrastructure. Initial reconstruction began promptly, offering residents a glimpse of hope.

But that hope has since dimmed. The repair work suddenly ceased, leaving the community stranded with only a makeshift crossing—one that now seems unfit for the upcoming rainy season.

“For families like mine, daily movement has become a burden,” said Jibrin Abba, a 59-year-old trader and father of four. “Our children are terrified when we try to cross. Mothers carry babies over unstable planks. It’s exhausting.”

Residents say the bridge is not just a convenience but a lifeline.

“There’s no alternative route that doesn’t cost time and money,” explained Emmanuel Ibrahim, 46, another father of four. “Without that bridge, we can’t get to work, school, hospitals, or even home safely.”

Voices like Fatima Abdullahi’s echo through the community. A 52-year-old mother of seven, she recalls seeing construction crews arrive, only to vanish days later.

“They said work would continue, but no one has returned. Elderly people like me can’t walk the uneven detour paths. We’re pleading with the government to act before the rains begin again.”

With the rainy season on the horizon, residents fear total isolation if urgent action is not taken. The community is united in one message: they need help, and they need it fast.

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Four trucks, a car and two motorbikes fell into the Magro river some 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the port of Guayaquil when the bridge collapsed on Wednesday.

Footage of the aftermath showed a truck teetering over a guardrail at the edge of the bridge, meters from a river submerging the structure.

“The bodies of four missing people have been found,” the National Secretariat of Risk Management posted on X.

Rescuers were searching for one person still missing, it added.

The bridge connected the province of Guayas, where Guayaquil is situated, with other provinces in the north.

Guayas governor Marcela Aguinaga said she had received no reports of it being faulty.

“From what we can deduce at this point, the bridge was overloaded,” she added on social network X.

The bridge’s collapse comes in the middle of the rainy season in the Andean nation.

At least 20 people have been killed in flooding and landslides that have damaged 45 bridges, according to the risk management ministry.

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According to Bissalla Ibrahim, a resident of Kusaki, the bridge collapsed over two weeks ago due to heavy flooding caused by torrential rains. Since then, residents, particularly farmers, have struggled to access their farms and nearby communities.

“This bridge connected us to our farms and neighboring villages. Now, it’s a daily struggle for us, especially the farmers,” Ibrahim said.

In response to the collapse, locals built a makeshift wooden bridge to allow residents and farmers to cross. However, the improvised solution is far from ideal, with women now having to carry farm produce across the wooden structure before loading it onto vehicles heading to Kuje market.

Community leader Samson Iliya lamented the hardship residents have faced since the bridge collapsed, urging authorities in the Kuje Area Council, led by Chairman Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo, to take immediate action to reconstruct the bridge.

An official from the council’s works department, who requested anonymity, confirmed they had received reports about the collapsed bridge and that the chairman had been informed. He assured that efforts would soon be made to address the situation.

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