Police and army "swarm" the Red River to find victims of the Phong Chau bridge incident
Báo Dân trí•14/09/2024
(Dan Tri) - Dozens of officers and soldiers deployed professional measures to search for victims and salvage the Phong Chau bridge girder that fell into the Red River.
Police and military search for missing victims of Phong Chau bridge collapse
On September 14, Dan Tri reporter recorded at Phong Chau bridge (Tam Nong district, Phu Tho province), functional forces were organizing to salvage the bridge girder that fell into the river and search for victims. The fallen span of Phong Chau Bridge was located about 20 meters away from the bridge. According to local residents, the bridge girder was "burying" a truck. The search effort involved about 50 police and military officers and soldiers. In recent days, the Red River has been rising and flowing rapidly, making it impossible for authorities to carry out search and rescue operations. According to local authorities, there are still 8 victims missing. Phu Tho Provincial Police have issued a notice to search for the victims' identities. A chainsaw was used to access the fallen bridge girder. Meanwhile, many canoes run along both banks of the Red River carrying soldiers searching for objects under the riverbed. This morning, this activity has not yielded any results. The electromagnetic canoe has been launched by the engineering force. At the staging area, dozens of cars carrying pontoon bridges are ready for installation. On September 13, the People's Committee of Phu Tho province sent a document to relevant departments and agencies regarding the implementation of search and rescue operations for the Phong Chau bridge collapse. The document stated that the water level on the Red River (Thao River) in the Phong Chau bridge area has now receded to below alert level 1. In order to proactively organize the search for people and salvage of vehicles in distress, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Tho province requested the Provincial Military Command - the standing agency for search and rescue and civil defense of the province - to take the lead, preside over, and coordinate with relevant departments, agencies, and units to develop a specific plan, mobilize forces, vehicles, and organize the search for people and salvage of vehicles to ensure speed and safety. The Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Tho province requested the People's Committees of Tam Nong and Lam Thao districts to direct the district's functional forces to closely coordinate with search and rescue forces; ensure security and safety in the search area; ensure accommodation, food and area for vehicles of units to come to strengthen the implementation of the task; mobilize forces and vehicles to participate in search and rescue according to the agreement of the Provincial Military Command. Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of Tam Nong District People's Committee, said that the top priority of the authorities is to rescue victims and vehicles that fell into the river when Phong Chau Bridge collapsed. In addition, the authorities will quickly install a temporary pontoon bridge to replace Phong Chau Bridge for people to travel. The authorities are continuously assessing the water level and flow, and when conditions are favorable and safety is ensured, they will carry out rescue and install the pontoon bridge. To facilitate the installation of the pontoon bridge, the road to Ben Ruong was cleared and all obstacles were removed. Local residents voluntarily removed bushes that could obstruct the authorities. At around 10am on September 9, 2 spans of Phong Chau bridge collapsed, causing 3 cars, 6 motorbikes, and an electric car to fall into the river. 3 people were rescued, 8 people are still missing. Phong Chau bridge crosses the Red River, connecting Lam Thao and Tam Nong districts of Phu Tho province, and has been in operation since 1995. The bridge is 375m long, consisting of 8 spans, the outer spans are prestressed reinforced concrete beams, the main spans are made of steel truss structure, and the bridge piers are made of reinforced concrete.
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