Truck Falls Through Bridge, Medical Supplies Lost

The bridge is made of logs with wooden decking. Miller says most of the decking was gone or in need of repair because of maintenance costs. The truck went into the stream below when the logs shifted.

The driver apparently had asked passengers to get out of the truck before crossing the bridge – a common practice due to the unstable nature of many bridges in Congo. The victim had decided to stay with the vehicle.

Miller says the truck rolled over into the stream with the wheels pointing up. Covenanters have been able to right the truck, but are looking for a vehicle big enough to pull it from the river.

This is the dry season, so the water is only to the top of the tires. Miller says the truck sustained little damage.

Roughly two-thirds of the supplies are recoverable, but another third was lost, Miller says. The supplies came from the Paul Carlson Partnership and HOPE International of Canada.

The Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) operates the hospital, along with other ministries in partnership with the Evangelical Covenant Church and its Department of World Mission. “The supplies are desperately needed,” Miller says.

The collapse will affect more than the hospital. The bridge is crucial to getting goods to Businga, where they can then be shipped by river to markets, Miller says.

PCP would like to construct another bridge, but that would cost roughly $30,000 to build a structure with steel girders, Miller says. Earlier this year, Miller announced that PCP was going to intensify its focus on developing infrastructure in one of the world’s poorest countries.