The recent collapse of a crucial bridge linking Ngoma and Bugesera districts has been blamed on overloaded trucks. A truck that was carrying 50 tonnes of fertilisers from Kigali to Ngoma District, via Bugesera, fell in River Kagera after a bridge it was trying to cross caved in last Sunday. The driver of the vehicle and his companion escaped unhurt. According to the driver of the truck, Patrick Ndamubanze, motorists were unaware that the bridge had weight restrictions. “There is no sign post at the bridge showing its load capacity. It is, therefore, true that we may have been carrying more than twice the bridge’s load capacity as we drove across,” he said. The truck is still stuck in the river, after efforts by various towing companies to remove it turned futile. Emmanuel Nyamutare, the Rukumberi Sector Executive Secretary, also attributed the accident to the truck’s overweight. He said the truck that crossed the bridge just before it collapsed weighed at least twice the bridge’s capacity. “The truck carried more than 50 tonnes…the bridge had capacity to carry not more than 30 tonnes. This, coupled with the old age of the bridge, could have been the cause of the collapse,” he said. “We have invited a number of specialised companies and institutions to pull the truck out of the river, but there has been little success,” he said. Meanwhile, residents of the two districts have resorted to water transport to continue their business. They blamed authorities for paying little attention to the bridge, which is key to trade in the two districts. Jean Damascene Mbonimana, one of the residents, told The New Times that the bridge had great economic significance to the area residents. He said the bridge was very old, adding that it remained a time bomb for long. “Nothing is surprising…we expected this. The bridge just couldn’t support cargo weight.” “This was an important bridge linking not only Ngoma to Bugesera, but also to Kigali. We have resorted to using boats that are not meant for passengers. This is another risk because they may capsise at any point,” he said. Police has warned passengers against overloading boats to prevent accidents.
