The Abakpa-Nike metropolitan main bridge, in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria on Wednesday night caved-in due to heavy rainfall and has cut off over one million residents. My brother, Maduka and I drove over that bridge while we were at home in Nigeria, in April. My family and I actually lived in Abakpa-Nike when I was about 6 or 7 years old

The 37-year-old bridge that was built shortly after the Nigeria civil war, did not initially show any sign of threat before its sudden collapse at about 7.30 pm on Wednesday night when there was a heavy down pour. No casualties were, however, recorded.

Mrs. Rosemary Obika, who lives close to the bridge, said that at about 7.00 pm that night, they heard a loud noise, but the time they arrived on the scene, the bridge had already gone down. “People scampered for safety as motorists and other road users were diverted to Penoks area to avoid the collapsed bridge. As this was going on, another section of the bridge also collapsed and it completely cut off the road. There was great confusion.”