Resume seeking victims of the collapse of a large bridge in Brazil

The partial collapse of a bridge over the Moju River in the Amazonian state of Pará (northern Brazil) left several people missing at dawn on Saturday, official sources said.

After flying over the area, the state's governor, Helder Barbalho, reported on Twitter that the collapse was due to the collision of a ship that had transported garbage with one. pillars of the bridge.

According to the Brazilian agency, at the time of the accident two vehicles traveling along this part of the bridge, near the municipality of Acará, fell into the water.

The authorities are not aware of the number of missing persons wanted by the fire service. According to firefighters, neither the crew members nor the documentation of the ship were found, reason for which he was suspected to be clandestine.

"It's a sad day with this unfortunate episode, and at this moment our priority is to speed up the searches of the victims and provide unfailing support to their families," said the governor.

The tragedy, which implied fall of four bridge pillars, took place on Saturday at dawn in the municipality of Acará, about 60 kilometers from Belém, capital of the state of Pará.

The affected bridge has a extension of 860 meters and a height of 23 meters and is part of a complex of roads and bridges that connect the capital of Pará, Bethlehem, inside the state.

Technicians from regional and municipal governments are also in the tragedy-affected region and are looking for alternative solutions to ensure the mobility of vehicles that already have long queues in the area due to the collapse of the structure. Without bridges, river transport is the only alternative to reach other areas of the state.

Shipment figures show that about 5.7 million tonnes of soybeans and 3 million tonnes of corn are shipped from the region, which could be increased by extensions in ports, according to consultants.

(With information from EFE and AFP)