On September 14, at the site of the collapsed Phong Chau Bridge, the Red River’s water level had significantly receded. Task forces, including the Phu Tho Provincial Military Command, Brigade 543 (under Military Region 2), Brigade 249 (from the Ministry of National Defense), and the districts of Lam Thao and Tam Nong in Phu Tho Province, resumed efforts to retrieve the fallen bridge beam and continued the search for eight missing victims.
Colonel Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Commander of the Phu Tho Provincial Military Command, emphasized that the search and rescue mission would likely face numerous unforeseen challenges, requiring close coordination among all involved units. The military and police are leading the search efforts.
According to the plan, the Phu Tho Department of Transport will coordinate with relevant authorities to recover the vehicles from the incident. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will closely monitor weather conditions, hydrology, and the flow of the Red River, providing regular updates to the search and rescue teams. Meanwhile, the Phu Tho Provincial Military Command has mobilized a 24/7 standby force, ready to collaborate with other units. The recovery process, including identifying victims, will follow proper procedures to ensure the investigation, verification, and safety requirements are met.
On September 14, several boats patrolled both banks of the Red River, carrying soldiers searching for the missing victims, but no results have been reported so far.
Alongside the rescue efforts, authorities have also prepared to install a temporary floating bridge to replace the collapsed Phong Chau Bridge, located about 500 meters from the original site. In connection with the bridge collapse, the Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee has requested that the Prime Minister provide guidance and approve the province to move forward with two investment projects: constructing a new bridge to replace the old Phong Chau Bridge, with a total investment of VND865 billion, and reinforcing and upgrading vulnerable sections of dikes, embankments, and flood walls along both banks of the Thao River, with a total investment of VND250 billion.
