Six days of waiting for news of missing relatives in Phong Chau bridge collapse
Báo Dân trí•14/09/2024
(Dan Tri) - Since the morning of September 9, dozens of relatives of the missing victims in the Phong Chau bridge collapse (Phu Tho) have been on duty day and night by the riverbank, waiting and hoping for a miracle.
Walking along the Red River in search of missing people On September 14, at the Phong Chau bridge area (crossing the Red River) connecting Tam Nong district and Lam Thao district (Phu Tho province), the police and military forces organized a search for missing victims as well as a plan to salvage the bridge girder that fell into the river. Along the fast-flowing, muddy Red River, many relatives of the victims in the Phong Chau bridge collapse waited wearily from early morning until late at night, with the faint hope that a miracle would happen. Immediately after hearing the news of the Phong Chau bridge collapse on the morning of September 9, Ms. Luong Thi Sau (55 years old, residing in Thach Dong commune, Thanh Thuy district, Phu Tho province) rushed to the scene. For nearly a week, Ms. Sau and her relatives have walked along the Red River from the Phong Chau bridge area downstream, more than 40km, to search for the whereabouts of her brother and his wife, Luong Xuan Thanh (56 years old, residing in Thach Dong commune, Thanh Thuy district) and Nguyen Thi Huong (48 years old, Mr. Thanh's wife). Ms. Luong Thi Sau waits for news about her brother and his wife (Photo: Nguyen Hai). Sitting about 300m from the foot of Phong Chau bridge, Mrs. Sau always kept her eyes on the authorities who were searching for victims at the collapsed bridge girder. "Is there any news yet, uncle? My family has been searching along the Red River for nearly a week now but have not found Mr. Thanh or Ms. Huong," as soon as she saw the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police of Phu Tho Province, Mrs. Sau quickly asked. Receiving the answer: "Family, don't worry, we are actively searching", from the police, Mrs. Sau sat down on the ground, holding her head tightly with both hands. After a few minutes of calming down, she said that on the morning of September 9, her brother and his wife went from home to Tien Kien commune, Lam Thao district (Phu Tho province) to examine and treat herniated disc. At 11am the same day, when they heard about the Phong Chau bridge collapse, the family tried many times to contact Mr. Thanh and his wife but could not. Thinking something was wrong, family members spread out to search everywhere and determined that when Phong Chau bridge collapsed, Mr. Thanh and his wife were near the middle of the bridge. On September 14, authorities searched for the missing victims (Photo: Nguyen Hai). "From the dash cam, we realized that Thanh and his wife fell into the Red River when the bridge collapsed. When the bridge collapsed, Thanh was wearing a white shirt and tried to hold on to the bridge railing but couldn't," Mrs. Sau said, her eyes filled with tears. In the past few days, Mrs. Sau's family mobilized more than 40 people to go along the Red River to search. It has been 6 days now but the search is still hopeless. With the belief that "as long as there is hope, there is still searching", Mrs. Sau's family has asked relatives and acquaintances in the lower reaches of the Red River such as Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, etc. to listen for more information. "The hope of finding them is very slim, but the family will never give up. Only when we bring them back will we feel at ease", Mrs. Sau said sadly with dark circles under her eyes from many days of sleeplessness. For nearly a week now, Mrs. Thu's tea shop - located next to Phong Chau bridge - has always had dozens of relatives of the missing victims coming and going waiting for news. Early on the morning of September 14, many relatives of the victims came to the "temporary" altar placed next to the bridge to change the flower vase, rearrange the fruits and burn incense to pray for the quick recovery of their loved ones. Was someone trapped inside the crashed car? Since the morning of September 9, Ms. Duong Thi Hoa's family has been taking turns staying at the foot of Phong Chau bridge to search for and hear information about her younger brother, Duong Cong Chien (43 years old, residing in Dan Quyen commune, Tam Nong district). Ms. Hoa said that her younger brother worked as a driver transporting construction materials. On the morning of September 9, Mr. Chien had just driven onto Phong Chau bridge when the bridge suddenly collapsed. "Since yesterday morning, the Red River water has receded rapidly, and rescue forces have begun surveying and searching, so the family is very eager to find him soon so that he can be brought back for burial," Ms. Hoa said, choking with emotion. Colonel Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Commander of the Phu Tho Provincial Military Command, Deputy Head of the Department in charge of rescue, relief and civil defense work in Phu Tho Province, said that there may be people trapped inside the sunken vehicles. Functional units in the province are mobilizing ferries with cranes capable of salvaging the cars that are sunk in the river. According to Colonel Cuong, the process of salvaging vehicles from the riverbed only takes place when the speed and eddy currents allow it.
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