Work accident news
28/09/2007

Vietnamese bridge collapse causes chaos

More than 50 people have been killed after part of a bridge under construction collapsed near the city of Can Tho in Vietnam.

The tragic work accident left hundreds more with personal injuries and many people are said to still be trapped in the wreckage of the fallen suspension bridge.

The bridge was being built to carry a four-lane road across the Hau River in the Mekong Delta area of the country and had more than 200 construction workers operating on it when it collapsed.

Emergency services rushed to the scene of the tragedy and the local hospital was soon unable to deal with the number of casualties needing treatment. Extra surgeons were drafted in from nearby Ho Chi Minh City to treat the wounded and people from all over the area flocked to the site of the construction accident to search for survivors.

A policeman from Can Tho explained the extent of the work accident to journalists, saying, "It was total chaos. It sounded like a huge explosion. It's the biggest accident I've ever seen."

A full investigation is now underway into the cause of the bridge collapse but rumours are rife that heavy rain over the past few days caused scaffolding holding up the structure to shift.

Whatever the cause of the tragedy, it is likely that those affected will employ the services of personal injury solicitors to help them make work accident compensation claims.