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Bridge section collapses in Vietnam, killing 52 workers

By Asociated Press
Published September 27, 2007

HANOI, Vietnam - A section of a bridge under construction in southern Vietnam collapsed Wednesday, killing at least 52 workers and injuring 97 others, officials said.

The bridge was being built across the Hau River, a branch of the Mekong River, in the southern city of Can Tho. It is part of a heavily used route linking the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

The collapsed section was more than 98 feet tall and was above land on the riverbank in Vinh Long province, said Vo Thanh Tong, chairman of the Can Tho people's committee. The four-lane bridge was not yet open to traffic.

The exact number of missing was unknown, but officials said at least 200 people were working on the 328-foot-long section when it buckled about 8 a.m.

"I expect the death toll to rise, as there are still victims trapped under the concrete," said Dang Van Tam, director of Central Can Tho General Hospital.

Local hospitals were overwhelmed and had called in 20 surgeons from Ho Chi Minh City to help.

"We have never had this many patients," Tam said.

The 1.7-mile bridge was started in 2004 and expected to be finished next year. It was to be the largest suspension bridge in Vietnam and would greatly speed the trip across the river, which thousands now make daily by ferry.

Officials were still investigating the cause of the accident. Cement had been poured into the collapsed section just one day earlier, on Tuesday. The bracing supporting it had apparently weakened.

[Last modified September 27, 2007, 00:31:33]