A Sunday partial collapse of a bridge spanning northern and northeastern Brazil caused at least one death and a leak of sulfuric acid into the Tocantins River. The collapse was caught on widely circulated video, which included a cloud of concrete dust as part of the 533-meter structure fell to the Tocantins River.
Incidentally, the accident happened when various vehicles including a tanker truck carrying sulfuric acid crossed the Estreito-Aguiarnopolis bridge. Preliminary reports are that 11 people are involved, and the damaged vehicles include two trucks, a car, and a motorcycle.
Local media says the authorities had earlier expressed concerns about the bridge’s capacity to hold heavy truck traffic. Aguiarnopolis city councilman Elias Junior had been filming the structural problems of the bridge when it collapsed. This video has not been independently verified by Reuters.
Watch here:
Bridge connecting the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Tocantins has collapsed, according to local media. Reports of multiple casualties.
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) December 22, 2024
Rescue teams acted swiftly by mobilizing divers to the site, but they stopped the operation once they ascertained that the sulfuric acid had leaked from the submerged tanker, increasing the risk to the rescue teams. The acid spill poses a danger to the Tocantins River, an essential water body for the region, raising critical environmental issues. Authorities have continued investigations into the cause of the collapse and are expected to update the public with more information in the days to come.
