Rivers Govt reacts to ‘collapse’ of Julius Berger bridge

The Rivers State government has dismissed viral reports that the Rumuokwurusi flyover bridge, being constructed by construction giants Julius Berger, partially collapsed at the weekend.

In a statement on Sunday signed by Dornubari Kiinee, the Special Assistant (Media and Documentation) to the Commissioner for Works, Rivers State, obtained by POLITICS NIGERIA, the government said the occurrence whose aftermath was captured on video was “an accident caused by some careless heavy equipment operators”.

“What happened yesterday was not an issue of structural failure but was entirely an accident caused by some careless heavy equipment operators,” the Rivers State government’s statement reads in part.

“Routine construction works were going on the site when an excavator horizontally collided with an already launched beam while trying to assist a tipper that got stuck in the mud due to the kind of soil peculiar to a typical construction site. The beam moved out of place and made an impact on other beams.

“The erroneous narrative being propagated by mischief-makers is with the sole aim of causing unnecessary panic amongst unsuspecting members of the public.

“The good people of Rivers State should disregard it in its entirety because there is no cause for alarm whatsoever. The structural integrity of the 10th flyover is not in dispute in any way. What happened was an avoidable incident caused by two careless equipment operators.

“To the glory of God, there was no casualty. The management of Julius Berger has been swiftly notified by the Honourable Commissioner for Works; the beams will be removed and new ones will be relaunched.”