A bridge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) collapsed as officials gathered to inaugurate it, according to local news outlets.
As reported by the Khaama Press, the small bridge was built to help locals cross a river during the rainy season as the temporary structure that was there before the bridge would often submerge during deluges, the news agency said in its report.
The video footage of the accident shared on Twitter shows the moment the bridge, which was being commissioned in DR Congo by local officials, collapses with local dignitaries on it. The clip shows a group of people mounted on the bridge, which was less than two meters wide and a male and female official about to cut a red ribbon fastened across the rails at the end.
While they were on top, a group gathered below to watch the ceremony and celebrate the official opening. However, the newly constructed footbridge succumbs to the pressure just as the ribbon is being cut and collapses, breaking into two.
The security personnel immediately rush to the spot and drag the officials to safety. The other members of the official delegation were left hanging but fortunately, did not fall to the ground. The video has since gone viral with more than 5 millions views. Watch the clip below:
“Don’t be surprised if the cost of this bridge is more than a million dollars of taxpayers money,” a user tweeted, while another wrote, “It’s like the ribbon was the one holding the bridge together.”
This is not the first time a bridge has collapsed during its commissioning. The mayor of the Mexican city of Cuernavaca was proudly inaugurating a footbridge over a scenic stream in June when the bridge collapsed, sending him and about two dozen other people plunging into a gully. The accident left eight people injured.
