The remainder of Phong Châu Bridge in Phú Thọ Province after floodwaters swept away part of it Monday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — At least 13 people have fallen into the Hồng (Red) River after part of the Phong Châu Bridge in the northern province of Phú Thọ was swept away by floodwaters at 10am today.

According to early reports presented to Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Đức Phớc, who visited the site to direct relief efforts, there were about 10 automobiles and two motorbikes that fell into the waters.

Concrete casualty numbers are not available yet, as search and rescue efforts are hindered by fast-flowing and rising river water in the aftermath of powerful Typhoon Yagi.

The cause of the collapse appears to be strong water flow at the bottom of the river destabilising the bridge, leading to the collapse of one pillar and two main spans out of eight, according to Phú Thọ's transport department.

Four people have been rescued thus far, with three survivors hospitalised at Tam Nông medical centre for emergency treatment.

Phan Trường Sơn, a survivor, told the media he heard a loud noise when he was travelling on the bridge and before he could respond, he and the bike were freefalling into the water below.

He tried his best to swim to shore. Luckily, just when he thought he couldn't make it, he managed to grab onto a floating banana tree and eventually got rescued by a nearby boat.

He only suffered minor injuries, but still felt shock and panic.

The Phong Châu bridge will be sealed off and guards will be deployed to make sure no vehicle can enter.

As for traffic, there are two options. Either a makeshift ferry or a pontoon bridge will be set up, according to deputy transport minister Nguyễn Xuân Sang. A fixed pontoon bridge is currently preferred as the waterway does not have much traffic, but in the long term, a new bridge needs to be built as this one is beyond repair.

The remaining standing part of the bridge is also at high risk of collapse.

Search and rescue efforts can only be done when the weather permits, Sang said.

Intermittent heavy rains are still taking place in the area, while the swelling river makes it very difficult and even dangerous to navigate and search for missing victims, especially ones that might have sunk to the bottom.

Deputy PM Phớc said when water is high, search and rescue units can look for victims near the banks, and expand the search when conditions allow.

Phú Thọ's leadership asked to use its emergency budget to build a new bridge within one year, as this bridge is on a primary traffic route.

About 100 officers from the Command of Region 3, Việt Nam People's Army have been deployed and stand ready for search and rescue.

About 20 people have reported missing relatives and are awaiting news. Some have been asked to identify vehicles based on images captured on cameras at the time of the collapse.

The Phong Châu bridge connects Tam Nông and Lâm Thao districts in Phú Thọ. It was built in 1995 and underwent maintenance in 2013.

In 2019, authorities imposed a ban on trucks over 18 tonnes.

In 2022, voters proposed to upgrade or replace the Phong Châu Bridge, but the transport ministry said the budget allocation for the time being does not allow this yet, so the Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam was ordered to enhance maintenance and repairs. — VNS