A couple is still missing after the Kuri-Gongri Bailey Bridge collapsed early this morning. The couple, a driver and his wife from Tsirang was travelling in a 10-wheeler dumper truck ferrying bricks to the Gyalsung Project in Monggar. The Nganglam-Gyalpozhing highway will remain closed until further notice. The bridge was reconstructed after it collapsed in May.
According to eyewitnesses, the bridge collapsed when the truck reached its centre. As soon as the truck fell into the river, it drowned and the couple went missing. A search party was mobilised to look for the couple, however, due to the swollen river, the search and rescue effort was discontinued. However, the search will resume tomorrow if the water level shrinks. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
“It was a load of bricks. Now we have almost come to the conclusion that it has carried around 33 metric tons of load only. We are still assessing the port of departure, from where it has been loaded and where it will be unloaded,” said Kinzang Dorji, Chief Engineer of the Department of Surface Transport in Lingmithang.
The bridge initially collapsed on 23rd May along with a dumper truck. It was reconstructed after 21 days
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Kipchu
