At 8:30 a.m., the main right cable of the Pa Xa Lao suspension bridge in Pa Xa Lao village, Thanh Yen commune, snapped, causing the bridge deck to tilt and collapse. A pickup truck with three occupants and a motorbike were crossing at the time and plunged into the river. One of the passengers in the truck was an official from the Thanh Yen Commune Economic Department, who was on his way to inspect a landslide.

Locals and typhoon response teams quickly rescued the victims, bringing them ashore for medical attention. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Chairman of the Thanh Yen Commune People's Committee (UBND), said an ambulance transported the four individuals to Dien Bien Province General Hospital. Three are in stable condition, while the commune official sustained serious injuries and remains under observation. The pickup truck is still submerged, and authorities are working on a retrieval plan.

At the scene, the suspension bridge is tilted to one side, its deck perpendicular to the water. Commune police and militia have erected barriers and warning signs, prohibiting people and vehicles from crossing. Residents are being directed to a temporary steel bridge about 800 meters away.

Built in 2004, the Pa Xa Lao suspension bridge spanned 84 meters in length and 2 meters in width, with a load capacity of 2 tons. The bridge had a steel deck and two main cables anchored to concrete abutments and piers, crossing the Nam Nua River and connecting Pa Xa Lao village with the villages of Pung Pon, Pa Thom, and Huoi Moi in Thanh Yen commune.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, at 11 a.m., Typhoon Wipha was located inland between Hung Yen and Ninh Binh, with wind speeds of level 8. It was moving towards Thanh Hoa and expected to weaken into a low-pressure system over Upper Laos.

The suspension bridge is almost completely overturned. Photo: Trinh Tu

From this morning until 23/7, provinces in the northern delta, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An are forecast to receive 200-300 mm of rain, with some areas exceeding 500 mm. Other areas in northern Vietnam and Ha Tinh are expected to receive 70-150 mm, with some areas exceeding 250 mm. The meteorological center warns of the risk of heavy rain exceeding 150 mm in three hours, potentially causing flooding, flash floods, and landslides in many areas.

Trinh Tu - Hong Chieu