The Ngòi Móng Bridge collapses. — Photo courtesy of the Hoà Bình City Police

HOÀ BÌNH — The Ngòi Móng Bridge in Hoà Bình City collapsed in the early hours of Thursday morning after the road connecting the structure cracked open.

No casualties were reported.

Local teams have roped off the bridge and put up signs prohibiting people and vehicles from approaching the area while the reason for the collapse is being investigated.

The Ngòi Móng Bridge crosses the stream with the same name at Km0+250 on the provincial road No 445 connecting Kỳ Sơn Ward and Hợp Thành Commune of Hoà Bình City.

The bridge has a span of over 30 metres, is 4.5 metres wide and is about ten metres high. It was constructed some time ago of load-bearing steel, without a central pillar and only has two abutments on both sides.

On the bridge surface, there are hard railings made of reinforced concrete on both sides.

This is a residential bridge, mainly serving people and vehicles.

Since the arrival of Typhoon Yagi on September 7 there had been heavy rain in Hoà Bình Province and landslides and the city police had already warned people not to use the bridge.

Due to the typhoon’s impact, the provincial road No 445 suffered a landslide and subsidence of the road surface at Km3+500, damaging the road infrastructure.

The provincial Department of Transport announced a ban on all vehicles on route Km3+500 until repairs are completed. — VNS