Vietnam police arrest barge operators after bridge collapse
Police in the southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai have arrested the barge operators purportedly responsible for the collapse of a railway bridge on March 20.
Tran Van Giang, 36, and Nguyen Van Le, 28, captains of the barge that slammed into and caused the Ghenh railway bridge to fall apart, have been detained after being accused of violating the regulations of waterway traffic, Colonel Huynh Yen Nam, a police official at the provincial Department of Police, confirmed on March 21.
Officers have also arrested Phan The Thuong, the 62-year-old owner of the barge, for appointing Giang and Le, who do not have a legitimate license to operate the barge.
According to a preliminary investigation, Giang and Le were tasked by Thuong with using his boat SG-3765 to tow the barge weighing about 650 metric tons from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai on the morning of the collision.
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Giang was in charge of the primary steering of the boat while Le was his assistant, according to the suspects’ statement.
When Giang and Le entered an area of the Dong Nai River about 10 meters away from the Ghenh Bridge, their boat encountered a strong torrent.
The two said that they attempted to slow down their boat but failed to do so as its engine broke down, causing the front part of the barge to crash into the construction.
Giang and Le decided to abandon the ship and seek help before they were rescued by local residents, investigators said.
They later got on a passenger bus and escaped from Soc Trang Province in the Mekong Delta, they added.
The bridge, which connects the two shores divided by the Dong Nai River, was hit by the barge at around 11:45 am on March 20, sending its middle span and three commuters to the water.
The exact number of casualties has not been confirmed yet, a police official in Dong Nai said.
The collapse of the bridge has caused all trains traveling between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to be stuck.
Railway operators said that buses will be used to transfer passengers across the river to be picked up by the train on the other side and continue their journey.
According to Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong, it will likely take about three to five months to repair the bridge and to restore the railway operation.
