Economy

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

PV (Synthesis) • DNUM_AJZAJZCACE 12:13

Up to now, the Phong Chau bridge collapse (Phu Tho) at 10am on September 9 caused 10 cars, 2 motorbikes and 13 people to fall into the river and be swept away.

1(2).jpeg — Traffic police divert traffic at the intersection of Lac Long Quan and Nguyet Cu streets (Viet Tri city) to prevent vehicles from going towards Phong Chau bridge.

The Prime Minister assigned Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc and leaders of the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Transport, and the National Committee for Incident Response, Natural Disaster Response, and Search and Rescue to immediately go to the scene to coordinate with the Secretary and Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Tho province to direct the inspection and immediate implementation of the work to overcome the collapse of Phong Chau bridge, focusing on rescue work for the victims of the bridge collapse.

According to Vietnamnet reporters, directly inspecting the scene of the 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 send people and vehicles down.

Provincial leaders said that this is a vital traffic route and needs to be repaired and restored immediately. The province proposed using the reserve and emergency funds to rebuild the bridge, but the Ministry of Transport will have to do this within a year. In the immediate future, 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 collapsed bridge area. 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.

The moment Phong Chau bridge collapsed. Clip: Social Network

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 falling into the river and quickly being swept away.

The river water was flowing so fast and strong. 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.

Noon 9/9, talk withAdolescentMr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of Tam Nong District People's Committee (Phu Tho), said he was at the scene of the incident where the Red River flood swept away Phong Chau bridge.

Sập cầu Phong Châu ở Phú Thọ, nghi nhiều xe rơi xuống sông Hồng- Ảnh 1. — Phong Chau Bridge collapsed. Photo: D.X

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

A large number of rescue forces were mobilized to the scene. Photo: XĐ/Vietnamnet

“Currently, the local authorities are coordinating with functional forces to organize the search for the victims. Because a span of the bridge 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) has just collapsed. Due to the very high water level of the Red River and the strong flow, 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.