TPO - The water level of the Red River in Phu Tho province has dropped to alarm level 1, but the current is still strong, making it impossible to install a temporary pontoon bridge. Currently, police and military forces are using canoes to search for the missing victims.
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On the afternoon of September 14th, the water level of the Red River in the area of Phong Chau Bridge (Tam Nong district, Phu Tho province) had receded to below alarm level one, but the current remained very strong. |
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Therefore, not only are the search and rescue efforts for the victims facing difficulties and obstacles, but the installation of a pontoon bridge across the river has not yet been carried out. |
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Today, authorities also organized the recovery of the bridge girder that fell into the river, about 20 meters from the bridge – where a truck is suspected to have gotten stuck when it fell into the river. |
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Authorities, including approximately 50 police and military personnel, are using boats to search for the victim. In recent days, the Red River has been rising and flowing rapidly. |
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The search area for victims has been expanded from upstream of Phong Chau Bridge to the end of Tam Nong district, stretching for tens of kilometers. In addition to using detection equipment and carefully observing the middle of the river, police and military personnel are also driving boats close to the riverbank to guard against the possibility of victims drifting away. |
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On shore, search and rescue forces were also deployed. |
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At the downstream area of Phong Chau Bridge in Huong Non commune, about one kilometer from Phong Chau Bridge, the 249th River Crossing Engineering Brigade has brought in numerous vehicles and equipment to prepare for the installation of the pontoon bridge. |
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Lieutenant Colonel Truong Hong Son, Deputy Brigade Commander and Chief of Staff of Brigade 249, said that the unit had mobilized 198 soldiers and 78 vehicles to support the search and rescue operation and to set up a temporary pontoon bridge to replace the Phong Chau bridge, which had just collapsed in two sections. However, due to current conditions and other technical shortcomings, the pontoon bridge has not yet been installed. |
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“The unit has determined that the bridge must be built as soon as possible to facilitate people's travel. However, the installation of the pontoon bridge must depend on the actual flow, weather, and terrain. To ensure the pontoon bridge can be installed, the flow velocity must be below 2 m/s. In addition, the unit must survey the locations for installing the bridge's guy wires 500 meters upstream; construct guy wires, and build access ramps at both ends of the ferry,” Lieutenant Colonel Son said. |
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Brigade 249 also brought two types of canoes, a regular canoe and an electromagnetic canoe, to carry out its mission. |
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29 pontoon bridges are stored in metal "containers". |
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According to a representative of Brigade 249, when installed, the bridge's width was 6.5m, capable of supporting a vehicle load of approximately 15 tons, ensuring smooth traffic flow. |
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Officers and soldiers of Brigade 249 regularly inspect vehicles and equipment, ensuring they are in absolute readiness to carry out missions when ordered. |
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Life jackets and other necessary equipment for carrying out the mission were fully provided. |
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The Phong Chau Bridge, spanning the Red River and connecting Lam Thao and Tam Nong districts in Phu Tho province, was put into operation in 1995. The bridge is 375 meters long and consists of 8 spans. The outer spans are made of prestressed reinforced concrete beams, while the main spans are steel truss structures, and the bridge piers are made of reinforced concrete. At approximately 10:00 AM on September 9th, two spans of the Phong Chau bridge collapsed, causing three cars, six motorbikes, and an electric vehicle to fall into the river. Three people were rescued, while eight remain missing. |
Source: https://tienphong.vn/vu-sap-cau-phong-chau-vi-sao-chua-the-lap-dat-cau-phao-post1673193.tpo
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