A bridge collapse accident occurred in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, resulting in many people falling into the water

At around 10 am on September 9, a sudden bridge collapse accident occurred at Phong Chau Bridge in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, shocking the local area. According to witnesses, there were several pedestrians and some vehicles on the bridge at that time. Without warning, they fell into the river along with the bridge.

After the accident, relevant information spread quickly. It is known that Phong Chau Bridge is nearly 380 meters long. It was completed in July 1995. It was repaired in 2013. And since September 2019, Phu Tho Province has prohibited vehicles with a tonnage of 18 tons or more from passing through the bridge. Preliminary statistics show that 10 cars, multiple motorcycles, electric bicycles, and 17 people fell into the water. As of 1 pm on the same day, four people had been successfully rescued, but 13 people were still missing. Search and rescue personnel are making every effort to carry out emergency search and rescue operations.

Recently, Typhoon Yagi made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7, bringing heavy rainfall to the local area, causing river levels to rise and water currents to become swift in many places. This is determined to be the main cause of the bridge collapse. The Vietnamese government said that Typhoon Yagi and the landslides and floods it triggered have caused at least 24 deaths and more than 200 injuries in northern Vietnam. They have also caused power and communication systems to collapse in many places. In addition, in the early morning of September 9, a landslide occurred in Ba Cha District, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam, burying four houses and resulting in seven deaths. On the same morning, a bus carrying 20 people in Cao Bang Province was buried due to a landslide, and search and rescue work is also in progress intensively.

This bridge collapse accident has had a huge impact on Phu Tho Province, Vietnam. It not only caused casualties and disappearances but also had a serious impact on local transportation and residents' lives. All sectors of society are highly concerned about the follow-up search and rescue progress and the investigation of the accident cause. They hope to give an explanation to the victims and their families as soon as possible. At the same time, it also prompts relevant departments to conduct more in-depth reflections and improvements on the safety of infrastructure to avoid the recurrence of similar tragedies.