Vietnam bridge collapse kills at least 47 people

Workers investigate the scene of the collapsed bridge from a crane in Vietnam's Mekong Delta's Vinh Long province.

HANOI, Saturday (AFP) - At least 47 people died when a bridge under construction in the southern Vietnamese province of Can Tho collapsed, a hospital director said today as search efforts continued for six people. “We found one more dead body of a worker early this morning,” said Tran Thanh Quang, director of Military Hospital 121 in Can Tho.

Rescue efforts would continue until all bodies were found, he said. Part of the 16-kilometre (10-mile) bridge being built across the Hau river to link Can Tho and Vinh Long provinces collapsed early Wednesday in the nation's worst bridge accident.

Rescuers used five cranes and concrete cutters to remove sections of the collapsed brige which weighed more than 2,000 tonnes, and several hundred police and military were mobilized.
Police yesterday launched an investigation into the accident and results were expected in coming days, according to online paper VNExpress.

A nationwide campaign has been launched to raise money for victims and their families. Construction of the 300-million-dollar Can Tho bridge, which was largely funded by the Japanese government, began in September 2004 and was to have been completed next year.