VIETNAM: Phong Chau Bridge Collapse After Typhoon Yagi

[HIGHTECHDUDE]

Originally Posted by Google Translation:

TAM NONG, (September 9, 2024) — In Phu Tho province, rescue operations were continuing after a steel bridge over the engorged Red River collapsed Monday morning. Reports said 10 cars and trucks along with two motorbikes fell into the river. Three people were pulled out of the river and taken to the hospital, but 13 others were missing.

Pham Truong Son, 50, told reporters that he was driving on the bridge on his motorcycle when he heard a loud noise. Before he knew what was happening, he was falling into the river. “I felt like I was drowned to the bottom of the river,” Son told the newspaper, adding that he managed to swim and hold on to a drifting banana tree to stay afloat before he was rescued.

Typhoon Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall Saturday with winds up to 149 kph (92 mph). It weakened to a tropical depression Sunday, but the country’s meteorological agency has still warned the continuing downpours could cause floods and landslides.

[kellyhound]

ballsy biker to actually stay on that bridge part.

[Roosta]

FARK. Not to much you can do about that, wrong place wrong time, sure, but going down on a whole bridge, WOW !

[joos]

Had to watch it a few times to verify, but the guy in the dump truck, did in fact try to brake as soon as the bridge started to fall but clearly not enough time to stop.

[William May]

Originally Posted by kellyhound

ballsy biker to actually stay on that bridge part.

If you watch the video, it looks like blue-helmet-guy was tempted to cut in ahead of that truck, but decided to wait. It saved his life. I don't know if Vietnam has a lottery ticket, but he might want to buy one, if they do.

For Google Mappers, it's the Cao Phong Chao bridge, on Route CT-02, in the Tam Nong District. It's shown as "temporarily closed" but I think it's going to be quite a while before it's rebuilt.

[houseoftechno]

Originally Posted by kellyhound

ballsy biker to actually stay on that bridge part.

I would have done the same thing.

[William May]

Originally Posted by houseoftechno

I would have done the same thing.

Yeah, I can't tell you how often I'VE done that!!

[houseoftechno]

Originally Posted by William May

Yeah, I can't tell you how often I'VE done that!!

That structure was solid ahead of the abutment, dammit!