Embarrassment: Footbridge in Congo collapses during its official opening ceremony; WATCH

A bizarre incident was witnessed in the Democratic Republic of Congo when a footbridge collapsed as the officials were preparing to cut the ribbon to formally open it. This incident in the central African nation has sparked uproar on social media, further questioning the quality of the construction. As per an iHarare report, there was commotion after a narrow footbridge crumbled during its opening ceremony in Congo.  

This footbridge was constructed to assist locals to cross a river during the rainy months since the old makeshift bridge would break frequently and had caused people to perish during floods. DRC authorities had convened over the bridge to officially inaugurate the structure. 

Bridge collapsed during the inauguration ceremony

During the inaugural event, a number of people ascended the narrow bridge, which was less than two metres wide. According to an IOL report, at the end of the small bridge, a red ribbon was tied over the railings, and an official was ready to snip it with scissors. Furthermore, to observe the event and commemorate the official inauguration, a crowd had gathered below the bridge.  

On the opening day, however, the bridge proved unable to maintain itself and collapsed under pressure from the officials. This incident took place as the authorities were cutting the ribbon. The event happened last week. 

This is not the first time that such an opening ceremony has taken place, and previously too, some instances led by African politicians have gone viral for similar reasons.

Furthermore, in the video which went viral on social media, it can be seen that an official woman was asking for assistance after the bridge collapsed and was getting ready to jump to safety. The security team arrives on the scene right away and drags the woman away from the crumbling bridge. Fortunately, none of the other guests of the official delegation fell to the ground despite being left dangling. Others can be seen racing to assist the stranded authorities right away.