At least four people were killed and 15 others injured when the old Clarin Bridge over the Loboc River in Loay, Bohol, collapsed Wednesday afternoon.
According to a report published by ABS-CBN News, the bridge collapsed around 4 p.m.
Vehicles were passing the bridge when the incident happened.
The bridge was damaged in the 2013 earthquake but was still in service while motorists waited for the new bridge to be completed.
The National Council for Disaster Reduction and Management said search and rescue efforts were ongoing.
The tragic accident claimed four lives. In addition to three locals, there was also a 30-year-old Carinthian who was on his honeymoon with his wife. According to the Philippine newspaper “Manila Bulletin,“ the man was rescued from the river and still brought to the hospital, where he died.
More than 20 people were injured but survived the accident. Among them was the wife of the Carinthian man who suffered minor injuries. According to reports, the Austrian woman is pregnant.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of an Austrian citizen in the Philippines. The Austrian Embassy in Manila cares for the man’s relatives.
Bohol Governor Art Yap blamed stationary traffic for the bridge’s collapse in a Facebook Live broadcast.
“According to engineer Magiting Cruz of the DPWH, the possible cause of the bridge collapse was that the bridge is only meant for moving traffic,” Yap said.
“There were many trucks on the bridge, and the bridge could not support the weight. That is the reason why it collapsed,” he added.
- Sources :abs-cbnnews.com/kurier.at/picture: Bohol Police Provincial Office/Facebook
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