Vietnam's bridge collapse caused by instable scaffold?

Can Tho (Vietnam), Sep 29 (Xinhua) The collapse of an approach ramp leading to the Can Tho bridge, the longest in Vietnam's southern Mekong delta, which killed nearly 50 people and injured 87, might have been caused by the instability of its scaffold, officials said Saturday.

The instability could have made the scaffold system fail to support concrete forms, said Vietnamese Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung. As a result, the concrete fell down, leading to the collapse of a 90-metre section of the ramp in Binh Minh district, Vinh Long province.

The bridge's investor and the main contractor are supposed to shoulder main responsibility for the accident because the contractor should ensure quality of sub-contractors, and the investor decides the list of contractors, he said.

The main contractor will have to review technical designs and the process of execution, surveillance and surveillance consultancy.

'The transport ministry will ask a company, which is not run by the ministry, to get to know the accident's cause. The bridge's construction will continue after the site is cleared. The ministry will require contractors to reinforce technical workers and highly-qualified experts,' he said.

Rescuers are continuing to seek some dead bodies still trapped in concrete blocks, according to the steering committee of the rescuers.

The 90-metre section of the newly built ramp, which is 30 metres above the ground, collapsed Wednesday morning. According to initial estimations, property losses caused by the collapse are estimated to be 40 billion Vietnamese dong ($2.5 million).

Construction of approach ramps and the cable-braced bridge's main span over the Hau River, linking Can Tho city and Vinh Long, with total length of nearly 16 km, began in Sep 2004 with investment of over 4.8 trillion Vietnamese dong ($302 million) from official development assistance of Japan and the Vietnamese government's reciprocal capital. It is scheduled to be complete in December 2008.

(c) Indo-Asian News Service

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