Typhoon Yagi blamed for bridge collapse leaving 13 people missing in northern Vietnam

According to the Department for Roads of Vietnam, the bridge over the Red River along National Highway 32C is maintained every year along with the highway.

The Phu Tho Province Department of Transport awards maintenance contracts based on a pre-approved plan.

In 2010 the bridge’s railing, deck and expansion joints were repaired. In 2013 its reinforced concrete beams were replaced, the expansion joints were upgraded to a comb-tooth type and the deck was resurfaced.

In 2018 its piers were reinforced against impact. In 2019 piers T6 and T7 were treated for erosion. In 2023 the bridge again got a makeover, with the expansion joints repaired and the steel girder structure repainted.

These details were contained in a report the Department for Roads of Vietnam sent Monday to the Ministry of Transport.

Functioning under the ministry, the department is responsible for advising and assisting the Minister of Transport with management and law enforcement related to road transportation nationwide.

Even before typhoon Yagi made landfall over the northern coast on Saturday, the department said it had ordered for an evaluation of the state of bridges in places in the typhoon's expected path, including Phong Chau, with particular attention to weak bridges that it said should be monitored and promptly addressed.

The steel and prestressed reinforced concrete Phong Chau Bridge was built in 1995. It is 375 meters long, its deck is seven meters wide, there are sidewalks on either side, and its total width is 9.5 meters.

It consists of eight spans and reinforced concrete piers.

According to the Phu Tho Province Department of Transport, a 2019 inspection of the bridge found it unnecessary to impose weight restrictions for vehicles using it, and each time repairs were made the bridge’s safety was assessed.

It concluded that the effects of typhoon Yagi, which brought heavy rains and flooding, led to the rapid rise of the Red River and altered its bed's terrain near the bridge, causing pier T7 to collapse and bring down spans six and seven.

Nguyen Minh Tuan, director of the Phu Tho Police Department, said: "We cannot rule out the possibility that an object floating in the river struck the bridge pier, causing the incident."

On Monday morning, half the bridge gave way all of a sudden, sending vehicles plunging into the river below.

An official report said 10 cars and two motorcycles fell into the water.

Three people were rescued, while 13 remain missing.

Authorities are scouring for the missing people, managing traffic and putting up warnings for people and vehicles.

Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit the East Sea in three decades, intensified into a super typhoon with winds reaching 201 kph last Thursday. It has so far claimed 64 lives in northern Vietnam.

Most of the victims were killed by landslides triggered by heavy rains and fallen trees.

 

 

Typhoon Yagi blamed for bridge collapse leaving 13 people missing in northern Vietnam

Khoảnh khắc cầu Phong Châu sập