Specifically, on September 26, the Investigation Police Agency (IPA) - Phu Tho Provincial Police issued Official Dispatch No. 4837/CV-VPCQCSDT, sent to the People's Committee of Phu Tho province requesting to implement measures to ensure safety against the risk that the remaining part of Phong Chau bridge may collapse.
The document stated that the Investigation Police Agency is handling and investigating the cause of the collapse of bridge pier T7 and 2 spans N6, N7 of Phong Chau bridge at km 18+300 of National Highway 32C connecting Tam Nong district and Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province on September 9, 2024.
On September 26, 2024, when surveying the remaining bridge section (the section connecting to Phung Nguyen commune, Lam Thao district), the Investigation Police Agency found that the bridge deck of span 5 (N5) was tilted outwards towards the Red River (with signs of subsidence at pier T6). Spans 4, 3, 2 showed signs of being twisted and tilted in the direction of the Red River flow, and the expansion joints (connecting the bridge spans) were much wider than the original design.
According to the assessment, there is a possibility that the remaining part of Phong Chau bridge will collapse at any time. To ensure the safety of people's lives and property, the Investigation Police Agency - Phu Tho Provincial Police proposed and recommended to the People's Committee of Phu Tho province to establish a working group to assess the safety of the remaining part of Phong Chau bridge in order to take timely measures.
At the same time, direct relevant departments and branches to apply safety measures to avoid the risk of the remaining part of Phong Chau bridge collapsing, causing insecurity for people's lives and property.
Direct the establishment of an appraisal team to determine the cause of the collapse of bridge pier T7 and the collapse of spans 6 and 7 of Phong Chau bridge and clearly define the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals according to the provisions of Article 46 of Decree No. 06/2021/ND-CP dated January 26, 2021 of the Government.
