Thursday, October 11, 2007
4 signs of wrongdoings at Vietnam's bridge collapse
signs of wrongdoings that led to the collapse of an approach ramp
leading to Vietnam's Can Tho bridge, according to local media on
Tuesday.
The 90-meter section of the approach ramp in southern Vinh Long
province, which is 30 meters above the ground, collapsed on Sept. 26,
killing 53 people, leaving one missing and 80 others injured.
The first sign of wrongdoing is about execution method, in which
technical requirements for casting concrete was not fully met, said
Saigon Liberation newspaper.
The second sign of wrongdoing is that the execution's surveillance work
was not done perfectly.
The third involves in the use of scaffold systems of poor quality, and
the fourth is the untimely action of relevant organizations and
individuals who received warnings about the presence of cracks on one
side of the approach ramp.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has ordered a temporary suspension of the
rebuilding of the collapsed ramp to ensure working safety, and asked
rescue work to continue to recover the single worker believed still
trapped in the debris, said Vietnam News newspaper.
Dung told the major contractor -- a partnership of three Japanese firms
Taisei, Kajima and Nippon Steel -- that their cooperation would help the
national investigation committee's work. This was to identify the cause
of the accident and assess the responsibilities of those involved in its
construction. He has ordered the committee to report to him within a
month.
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 September 2004.
The investment of 295 million U.S. dollars came from official
development assistance of Japan and the Vietnamese government's
reciprocal capital. It is scheduled to be complete in December 2008.
Editor: Wang Hongjiang
