Rivers Denies Structural Failure on 10th Flyover

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Government has described as false and misleading information circulating on social media that its 10th flyover bridge undergoing construction at Rumukrushi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, had structural failure leading to partial collapse.

THISDAY observed at the site that an excavator horizontally collided with an already launched beam while trying to assist a tipper that got stuck. The beam moved out of place and affected the other beams, which slightly damage the beams on that row.

In his reaction to the incident, the Special Assistant on Media and Documentation to the Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Dornubari Kiinee, said that the incident was avoidable. 

Kiinee said: “Our attention has been drawn to a misleading narrative concerning the incident that occurred at the Rumukrushi (Tank) Flyover project site yesterday, Saturday, August 6, 2022.

“What happened yesterday was not an issue of structural failure but was entirely an accident caused by some careless heavy equipment operators.

“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. The beam moved out of place and made impact on other beams. This caused damage to the beams on that row.

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

He urged Rivers State’s people to disregard the rumoured collapse, saying that “the structural integrity of the 10th flyover is not in dispute in anyway. 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 notified by the Honourable Commissioner for Works; the damaged beams will be removed and new ones will be relaunched. There is no need for panic as the situation is fully under control,” he assured.