A least 10 people were injured and six are missing after a towering arch bridge over a bay collapsed in Taiwan on Tuesday, according to local news outlets.
A chilling video of the incident shows the Nanfangao Bridge, which is located in the Su’ao Township of Taiwan’s Yilan County, crash down at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time, The Washington Post reported.
During the accident, an oil tanker truck fell onto three fishing boats below the bridge and caught on fire.
Over 200 first responders, including coast guard divers and military personnel, arrived at the scene to search for survivors. Most of the injured and missing individuals are believed to be migrant fishermen from Indonesia and the Philippines.
It’s uncertain what caused the massive bridge to collapse. State-run news agency CNA noted that a typhoon impacted the area over the past two days, causing winds to reach up to 162 kmh (about 100 mph). The bad weather forced financial markets to shut down, schools to close, and airlines to cancel more than 150 flights. A magnitude 3.8 earthquake also struck the area on Monday, but officials are still trying to determine if poor conditions played a role in the collapse.
Maintenance consultants who observed the bridge’s conditions over the past few years found signs of rusted cables and damaged connected points, The New York Times said, citing The Liberty Times. These consultants reportedly notified the harbor administration about the problems, but didn’t receive a reply.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen promised that the government would investigate the incident and that all of Taiwan’s bridges would be inspected.
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