On the morning of September 14, the Standing Office of the Civil Defense Command of Quang Tri province said that functional forces continue to deploy plans to handle the incident of a barge stuck in the My Chanh railway bridge area, Nam Hai Lang commune.
Previously, at about 2:00 PM on September 13th, due to heavy rain, the floodwaters of the O Lau River rose high and flowed swiftly, sweeping 3 barges downstream, trapped in the My Chanh railway bridge area, Km651+084 of the North-South railway line. The incident directly affected the safety of the railway project, National Highway 1 and inland waterway traffic.
By the afternoon of the same day, rescue forces had cleared 1 barge, currently 2 barges are still trapped in the bridge area.
Immediately after the incident occurred, leaders of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, Provincial Police and the railway industry were present at the scene, directly directing the handling. The Provincial People's Committee requested units to inspect and assess the current status of the project; arrange forces and vehicles to salvage barges, ensuring traffic safety on railways, roads and waterways. The province also requested the Ministry of Construction to direct specialized units to coordinate and support handling plans.
At the scene, rescue forces cut off part of the barge and pumped water into the vehicle body to change the condition, avoiding contact with the bridge girder. Through inspection, the abutment, pillars and road section on the bridge were not significantly affected. The ship was organized to cross the bridge at a limited speed to ensure safety.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in Quang Tri is showing signs of decreasing. By 6 am on September 14, the northern area of the province still had light to moderate rain, the south had no rain. The water level of most rivers has peaked and is receding slowly, especially the Gianh River is still rising.
Rain and floods still cause flooding and division in many areas. The whole province has evacuated 663 households with 2,506 people to safe places, of which Lao Bao commune alone evacuated 333 households with 1,177 people.
Initial statistics show that 344.5 hectares of rice were flooded and fallen; 12.5 hectares of crops were flooded. Some houses had their roofs blown off, fish ponds were broken or water overflowed, causing seafood loss. Many mountainous roads also experienced landslides, deep flooding, and traffic was cut off.
