[KC]

A towering arch bridge over a bay in eastern Taiwan collapsed Tuesday morning, sending an oil tanker truck falling onto boats in the water below. An air force helicopter, fishing vessels and more than 60 military personnel, including divers were searching for possible victims.

Six people were believed trapped on one of the boats, the National Fire Agency said in a statement. Interior Minister Hsu Kuo-yung told reporters about five people were feared to have been on the bridge when it collapsed. Ten people were sent to hospitals, six of them with serious injuries.

The 460-feet Nanfangao Bridge is a tourist attraction in Yilan. It was opened in 1998 and was built to replace a lower bridge that prevented large fishing vessels from passing underneath.

[RiversEdge]

that tanker came oh-so-close to making it; maybe another 3 1/2 seconds.

[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by RiversEdge ↗

that tanker came oh-so-close to making it; maybe another 3 1/2 seconds.

update:

Doctors say they are optimistic about the condition of a 60-year-old driver surnamed Chang (張), whose oil tanker truck plummeted six stories after the collapse of Nanfang'ao Bridge in Yilan's Su'ao Township on Tuesday. They say his spleen has stopped bleeding and that an operation is slated for Friday, reported the Liberty Times.

At around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the bridge suddenly gave way, killing four migrant fishermen and injuring more than 20 people. The Ministry of the Interior's National Fire Agency said that 10 people required hospitalization, including six Filipinos, three Indonesians, and Chang, who is a Taiwanese citizen.

Video shows the tank truck crossing the bridge, and just as it is on the verge of making it to the other side, the structure suffers a catastrophic failure and begins to sag dramatically. The entire bridge then breaks completely free from the road on either side and crashes into the waterway below, causing a massive quantity of water to spray in all directions.

The tank truck fell with the bridge and flipped over before bursting into flames. According to local media reports, Chang sustained multiple fractured ribs, head trauma, a damaged kidney, a ruptured spleen, and a broken leg.

other angle vid and zoom-in aftermath
They were lucky the bridge wasn't packed with dozens of vehicles

[LrlynJy]

Was it sabotaged? The bridge i mean. Strange it should just fall that way with no obvious reason.

[Crowzero]

That tanker that almost made it. Imagine what was on the driver's mind during the split second when it went down.

Dude in the 2nd video cracks me up. He's so calm like it's just another typical day. Zero f**ks given

[Watcher===]

Originally Posted by LrlynJy ↗

Was it sabotaged? The bridge i mean. Strange it should just fall that way with no obvious reason.

I'm liable to thinking anything's ready to just collapse out there where nature gets up to mischief as safety standards take yet another lazy siesta.

[Suicide_Note]

Originally Posted by RiversEdge ↗

that tanker came oh-so-close to making it; maybe another 3 1/2 seconds.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back.