A bridge in northern Vietnam’s Phu Tho province collapsed on Monday morning as the region faced the devastating impact of typhoon Yagi. At least 10 vehicles, including motorbikes and cars, plunged into the Red River after the collapse of the 375-metre-long Phong Chau Bridge, local media reported. 

WARNING – disturbing footage.
In Vietnam, at least 13 people fell into the Hồng (Red) River after part of Phong Châu Bridge in Phú Thọ was swept away by floodwaters. About 10 vehicles and two motorbikes fell in. Rescue efforts are hindered by fast currents following Typhoon… pic.twitter.com/TUZSnL5EIe

— Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) September 9, 2024

Authorities have confirmed that 13 people are missing following the incident, though Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc has said it is unclear if there have been any casualties. Rescue operations are ongoing, with part of the bridge still standing. Efforts are being made to construct a pontoon bridge to restore access to the area. 

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The bridge collapse comes as Vietnam continues to reel from the effects of typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit the region in decades. The storm, which made landfall on Saturday, has killed at least 64, with severe flooding and landslides causing widespread damage in northern provinces.

In addition to the bridge collapse, a passenger bus carrying 20 people was swept away by a landslide in Cao Bang province. Rescue teams have also been hampered by blocked roads and ongoing heavy rains. 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has announced emergency aid packages and instructed the military to prioritise rescue and recovery efforts. Typhoon Yagi has also caused significant disruption to northern Vietnam’s industrial hubs, with numerous factories experiencing power outages and severe damage.

Millions of households and businesses lost power, and telecommunications were cut off in many areas. Over 5.7 million customers were left without electricity, with more than 75 per cent of power restored by Monday.

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Industrial zones in Haiphong, a city with a population of two million, suffered extensive damage. Roofs of factories were torn off, and workers struggled to salvage equipment as heavy rains flooded production plants. Factories of South Korean conglomerate LG Electronics in Haiphong experienced significant damage, although no casualties were reported among employees. 

The Vietnam Meteorological Agency has warned of continued risks of flooding and landslides, with rainfall in northern regions ranging between 208 and 433 mm in the past 48 hours.

Patna:

A section of the superstructure of the under-construction Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge collapsed and fell into the Ganga River in Bihar.

Although no injuries were reported in the latest incident involving the bridge that has been nine years in the making, the repeated collapses of various sections of the bridge raise serious questions about the quality of construction and the alignment of the project.

This latest collapse of the Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat road bridge has intensified concerns, especially since the construction company responsible for the project SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd, has not yet provided any clarification regarding the incident.

Eyewitnesses at the construction site captured the collapse on camera and these videos were quickly shared on social media platforms.

अगुवानी सुल्तानगंज में गंगा पे निर्माणाधीन पुल फिर तीसरी बार गिरा ।पूरा system भ्रष्टाचार में लिप्त हैं ।मैं लगातार बोल रहा था कि फिर गिरेगा लेकिन आज तक किसी पे कोई कार्यवाही नहीं हुईं।ना अधिकारी पे ,ना एस.पी सिंघला कंपनी पे ,ना रोडिक कन्सल्टेंसी पे। @narendramodi@nitin_gadkaripic.twitter.com/HLnA3EkaXB

— Dr.Sanjeev Kumar MLA Parbatta,Bihar (@DrSanjeev0121) August 17, 2024

This bridge, envisioned as a key infrastructure project by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was intended to connect Sultanganj in Bhagalpur District with Aguani Ghat in Khagaria District, facilitating easier travel from Bhagalpur to Jharkhand via Khagaria.

It was also expected to alleviate traffic congestion on the Vikramshila Bridge, a critical link in the region.

However, the repeated collapses – this being the third incident, with a previous collapse on June 4, 2023 -highlight significant flaws and poor quality of construction.

The earlier collapse between pillar numbers 10 and 12 on the Khagaria side led to widespread criticism of the Bihar government.

In response, the government penalised SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd., and mandated that the bridge be rebuilt at the company’s expense.

Notably, another section of the bridge on the Bhagalpur side collapsed on June 30, 2022, when the superstructure between pillar numbers 5 and 6 fell into the Ganga River.

The most recent collapse on Saturday involved the superstructure made of iron angles, which also plunged into the river.

Experts have pointed to misalignment issues as a likely cause for these repeated failures.

The foundation stone for the 3.16 km bridge was laid on February 23, 2014, with construction beginning on March 9, 2015.

The Bihar government allocated Rs 1,710 crore to the project, highlighting its significance as a major infrastructure initiative.

Despite this, after nearly nine years in the making, the bridge remains incomplete.

The Bihar government’s road construction department has managed to build a 16 km approach road from the Khagaria side and a 4 km approach road from the Bhagalpur side, but the main structure of the bridge remains unfinished.

This long delay, combined with the repeated structural failures, has cast a shadow over the project’s execution and the quality of work by SK Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd.

The situation calls for an urgent review and corrective measures to ensure that the bridge, once completed, is safe and reliable for public use.

Patna:

Bihar saw its fourth instance of bridge collapse in a week, with a bridge caving in at Kishanganj district. The 70-meter bridge on a tributary of the Kankai river, connected Bahadurganj and Dighalbank blocks and its collapse has affected the connectivity between the two towns. No one was injured in the incident.

Officials said the water level of the river had gone up and several pillars in the middle of the bridge sunk about one-and-a-half-feet due to the strong current.

Cellphone videos from the spot, which were widely circulated on social media, showed the middle part of the bridge sagging and almost touching the fast-flowing river, raising concerns that it might disintegrate any time.

On receiving information about the incident, Bahadurganj police station chief Abhinav Parasar reached the spot with his team and immediately barricaded the area at both ends, stopping vehicle movement.

Locals said the bridge was built about six years ago.

The Road Department has also reached the spot and are investigating the matter.

District Magistrate Tushar Singla said the bridge was built in 2011 over Madiya, a small tributary that connects the Kankai river to the Mahananda. “Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current,” he was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

Three incidents of bridge collapse were reported last week from Siwan and Araria districts.

On June 19, a portion of an under-construction bridge over the Bakra river in Bihar’s Araria district, collapsed even before it was inaugurated. The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, came apart in seconds. Horrifying videos from the spot showed the huge chunks of concrete being washed away.

#WATCH | Bihar | A portion of a bridge over the Bakra River has collapsed in Araria pic.twitter.com/stjDO2Xkq3

— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2024

Over the last few years, a number of similar incidents have taken place in various parts of the state, leading to questions about the quality of public works in the state.