…ATBU shut down to mourn victims
It was learnt that the incident, which occurred around 12:00am, also left seven injured.
It was gathered the tragedy struck when some of the students were leaving the campus after reading overnight in preparation for exams.
The incident was said to have occurred as a result of a heavy downpour in the state which lasted for several hours.
The bridge, which linked the university and the hostels, was reported to have collapsed under the heavy current of the water underneath.
The incident has however triggered a protest among the students, who blamed the tragedy on the school management for turning deaf ears to several pleas to fix the deteriorating bridge.
An eyewitness who spoke with the Nation in confidence said distress calls put across to the management asking them to come for help were not responded to as at the time the incident occurred.
The student said some of her friends in school were still missing in the aftermath of the collapse bridge.
She said further that they have alerted the school authorities over the weak bridge and the poor road network leading to the varsity but no action was taken.
The Student Union President, Naziru Mohammed reportedly escaped been lynched by the irked students who protested the death of their colleagues.
Our correspondent who also visited the scene of the accident as at 9:30am on Tuesday morning saw some of the security personnel and students searching underwater for missing persons where the iron bridge collapsed.
But the management of the varsity has blamed the tragedy on lack of funds to rehabilitate the bridge.
Confirming the incident, the Vice Chancellor, Muhammad Abdullazeez of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi State said it has made several
pleas for fund to rehabilitate the weak bridge but nothing was done.
He, however, said the varsity has been shut down as it declares 12 days mourning over the death of the four students.
The Vice Chancellor, Muhammad Abdullazeez, who spoke to journalists at a press conference on Tuesday in Bauchi State also confirmed that seven students were injured in the tragedy.
But he could not confirm the total no of the students missing saying rescue efforts were still in progress.
He said that the full details of the incident were still being awaited.
Source: thenationonlineng
