Phong Chau Bridge Collapse in Phu Tho: 10 Cars, 13 Victims Fall into Red River

According to Vietnamnet reporter, directly inspecting the scene of Phong Chau bridge collapse, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc asked Phu Tho province to make a preliminary report on the damage from the bridge collapse.

According to preliminary reports, there are10 cars, 2 motorbikes and 13 peopleswept away. Of these, 4 were rescued, the remaining victims are missing.

The Deputy Prime Minister directed forces to block both ends of the bridge and use nets to search for people who fell into the river. However, provincial leaders reported that rescue efforts were facing difficulties due to the strong currents, making it impossible to immediately get people and vehicles down.

Provincial leaders said that this is a vital traffic route and needs to be repaired immediately. The province proposed using the reserve and emergency fund to rebuild the bridge, but the Ministry of Transport will have to do this within a year. In the short term, to facilitate people's travel, a pontoon bridge will be used.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang is with a working delegation of the Ministry of Transport and the National Traffic Safety Committee to the collapsed bridge site.

The Ministry of Transport has directed the Inland Waterways Administration to coordinate traffic and guide watercraft not to enter the area of ​​the collapsed bridge. The Ministry's units will closely coordinate with local forces to deploy plans to search for victims and handle the incident.

* Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of Tam Nong District People's Committee, said that up to this point, 3 victims have been rescued. Authorities have not yet determined how many people and vehicles fell into the river.

Recounting the incident, Ms. Thieu Thi Hoa (Van Xuan commune, Tam Nong district, Phu Tho province) said she had just passed by when the bridge collapsed.

"This morning, I went to Lam Thao to go to the market. As soon as I crossed the bridge, I heard a loud noise. When I turned around, I saw the bridge had collapsed. There were motorbikes, trucks, and cars, all of them fell into the river and were quickly swept away.

The river water was flowing so fast and strongly. I was so scared that I stopped my car and sat down on the side of the road because I had barely escaped death," said Ms. Hoa.

At noon on September 9, talking withAdolescentMr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of Tam Nong District People's Committee (Phu Tho), said he was at the scene of the Red River flood that swept away Phong Chau bridge.

According to Mr. Hung, the Phong Chau bridge collapse happened around 10am that same day. At the time of the incident, the bridge was still open to traffic.

“Currently, the local authorities are coordinating with functional forces to organize the search for victims. Because a bridge span was suddenly washed away, the exact number of victims has not been determined yet,” Mr. Hung added.

Another source ofAdolescentalso said that Phong Chau bridge across the Red River connecting Lam Thao District and Tam Nong District (Phu Tho) had just collapsed. Due to the very high and fast-flowing water level of the Red River, Phong Chau bridge collapsed. At the time of the bridge collapse, there were many vehicles on the road.

"Currently, authorities are extracting camera footage to determine if there are any victims," ​​the source said.

Phong Chau Bridge is a bridge spanning the Red River on Highway 32C, connecting Lam Thao and Tam Nong districts (Phu Tho). The bridge has a steel structure, is nearly 380 m long, and was inaugurated in July 1995.