A bridge connecting two states in Brazil’s northern and northeastern regions collapsed on Sunday as vehicles were crossing, killing at least one person and spilling sulfuric acid into the Tocantins River.
The National Department of Transport Infrastructure said the central span of the 533-meter (0.3-mile) bridge connecting the cities of Estreito in Maranhao state and Aguarnopolis in Tocantin state gave way at noon. A tanker truck carrying acid fell into the water, officials said.
According to the fire department, one person has been confirmed dead while the other has been rescued alive.
Aguiarnopolis city councilman Elias Jr. recorded a video urging officials to fix the bridge’s problems, which he said could no longer handle heavy trucks passing over it. The structure in front of him collapsed as he spotted a large crack in the shoulder of the bridge, causing him to run backwards.
Reuters The video could not immediately be independently verified. Junior did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two trucks, a car and a motorcycle plunged into a river more than 50 meters (164 feet) deep, with at least 11 people on board, according to preliminary estimates.
By evening, rescue divers had halted their efforts after identifying a sunken tanker leaking sulfuric acid, Tocantin’s fire department said.
The Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge, inaugurated in 1960, was built with reinforced concrete and is part of the BR-226 highway, connecting the federal capital Brasília with the northern city of Belem, which will host the United Nations Climate Change Conference next year.
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