Phong Chau Bridge Collapse: 8 Vehicles Involved and Initial Cause Identified

On the afternoon of September 9, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc had a working session with leaders of Phu Tho province to direct the handling of the consequences of the Phong Chau bridge collapse.

According to the preliminary report of the Provincial People's Committee, at the time of the accident, there were 8 vehicles involved (including: 1 truck, 1 car, 5 motorbikes, 1 electric bicycle); 5 injured people were rescued and taken to the emergency room at a medical facility.

Also according to the province's report, due to the impact of storm No. 3, flood water on Thao River (Red River) rose very high, at Am Thuong reaching +27.25 m (above alert level III: 1.25 m). Due to the high and fast-flowing river water, at about 10:02 a.m. on September 9, Phong Chau Bridge at km18+300 of National Highway 32C (connecting Tam Nong and Lam Thao districts - Phu Tho province) collapsed, sweeping away pillar T7 and 2 main spans (spans 6 and 7 on the right bank of Thao River, in Tam Nong district).

At the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister requested functional forces in Phu Tho province to urgently conduct rescue operations, using all means to search for victims, but ensuring safety. If there is a lack of rescue vehicles, the province will propose to the Prime Minister to provide timely rescue vehicles.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the province to urgently place signs and block roads to prevent people and vehicles from entering the bridge area; and to divert traffic so that vehicles can move in other directions.

In addition, the province also needs to promptly visit, encourage and support the families of the victims. The relevant agencies must ensure security and order in the area. The province must take measures to evacuate people from landslide-prone areas in the area.

While waiting for the bridge to be repaired, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the military and relevant agencies to build a pontoon bridge across the river to facilitate people's travel; at the same time, the province also urgently developed a plan and submitted it to the Prime Minister to quickly repair the bridge.

Due to high and fast-flowing floodwaters, search and rescue operations have encountered many difficulties; the exact number of missing people has not been determined.

Phu Tho province is coordinating with the Ministry of Transport, Military Region 2 and relevant authorities to actively and urgently mobilize forces, vehicles and necessary measures to search for missing people; put up warning signs in dangerous areas, direct traffic and ensure security and order.

Immediately after the incident, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Tho province was present at the scene to direct the mobilization of functional forces (police, army, medical staff, local people, etc.) to immediately deploy emergency measures to rescue people, respond to and overcome the incident.

In response to this incident, on September 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed an official dispatch requesting ministries, branches and localities to focus on overcoming the collapse of Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province and respond to and overcome the consequences of floods, landslides, flash floods in the mountainous and midland provinces of the North.