Vietnam Bridge Collapse Kills Many

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

HANOI (Worthy News) – Many in Vietnam were grieving Tuesday after a busy bridge in the north collapsed as it was being hit by Super Typhoon Yagi, which has killed more than 60 people since making landfall on Saturday.

Worthy News saw dramatic dashcam footage of the moment the Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province gave way on Monday, plunging several vehicles into the water below.

A lorry plummeted into the water as the bridge decking ahead fell away before the driver had time to stop was captured on camera.

Searches were underway for 13 people.

Ten cars and two scooters fell into the Red River following the collapse of the Phong Chau bridge, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc said.

Authorities said at least three people have been rescued from the river so far, suggesting that many remain missing.

WITNESS SCARED

Nguyen Minh Hai said he was riding across the bridge on his motorcycle when it collapsed. “I was so scared when I fell down,” he said, speaking from hospital.

“I feel like I’ve just escaped death. I can’t swim, and I thought I would have died.”

Part of the 375-meter 1230-feet) structure was still standing, and the military has been instructed to build a pontoon bridge across the gap as soon as possible.

Vietnam’s most powerful storm in 30 years has wreaked havoc across the country’s north, leaving 1.5 million people without power.

Although it has weakened into a tropical depression, authorities have warned Yagi will create more disruption as it moves westwards.

The typhoon, which brought winds of up to 203 kilometers per hour (126 miles per hour) and is Asia’s most powerful storm so far this year, has injured more than 240 people.

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