Divers equipped with specialized equipment, on rescue boats depart from the newly dived pontoon bridge to the collapsed Phong Chau bridge area. During the search, Navy divers always coordinate closely with forces present at the scene to coordinate the search.
Colonel Nguyen Dinh Cuong - Commander of Phu Tho Province Military Command - said: "The area around Phong Chau bridge is very complicated and the current is strong and deep, so it is beyond the province's reach. The Provincial Military Command directly advised the provincial leaders to request the Ministry of National Defence to support with forces and means."
The 126th Special Forces Brigade selected highly qualified divers with extensive experience in search and rescue operations in rivers and seas to participate in this mission. Before diving, the unit's medical staff checked blood pressure, heart rate and mental state to ensure they were qualified to carry out the mission.
Divers drop buoys and mark the dive locations in a grid pattern. Marking points are spaced approximately 100 meters apart to avoid missing targets. Diver safety is always a top priority. Communication is maintained seamlessly from the commander on shore, to the commander in the boat, and to the divers underwater.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Ngoc Tuan Anh - Deputy Brigade Commander of Brigade 126 - shared: "We will search the entire area from the foot of Phong Chau bridge downstream to the new pontoon bridge area that the Engineering Command has just deployed. We will search each area carefully. We will mark the search distance at the locations below with squares.
Specifically, when searching, after each search area is finished, we will mark buoys like land mine clearance, so that you can visualize. After completing the locations, we will report the results daily and advise the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Military Command on measures.
Currently, the water flow is strong, visibility underwater is very limited, and there is a lot of silt. Divers must use a combination of specialized techniques to search and combine with manual techniques to search for victims. The commander of Brigade 126 commands, and divers take turns to maintain continuous underwater operation.
