Bridge Collapses in Taiwan; Oil Truck Plunges Moments Away From Crossing

At least 20 people were injured, including the truck’s driver and several fishing boat workers, the authorities said.

The Nanfang’ao Bridge, about 150 yards long, fell around 9:30 a.m. local time, according to Taiwan News. Hsu Kuo-yung, Taiwan’s interior minister, told Formosa TV that 20 people were initially sent to hospitals, six of them with serious injuries. Two rescue workers were also injured.

The tanker truck was moments away from crossing the bridge when it plunged tail-first toward the water, catching fire after it landed, according to Focus Taiwan, a local news channel.

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Su Hong-wei, a spokesman for the National Fire Agency, said the tanker smashed three boats in its fall, according to The Associated Press. Nine fishing boat workers — six from the Philippines and three from Indonesia — were injured.

Mr. Hsu said officials feared that about five people were on the bridge when it collapsed. Some remained missing, with fishing boats assisting in rescue efforts. Divers searched submerged boats but did not find anyone inside.

The bridge, which was completed in 1998, spanned a waterway in a fishing village in Yilan County. Images in local media showed the large steel arch still upright in the water, with rubble at both ends.

Maintenance consultants responsible for the bridge had in previous years found rusted cables, and several connected points had been hit by vehicles and damaged, according to The Liberty Times.

The consultants had reported the problems several times to the harbor administration, but did not receive a reply, the newspaper reported. The public affairs office of the Su’ao Port branch office of the Taiwan International Ports Corporation declined to comment on the report. Nanfang’ao is a part of Su’ao Port.

The Taiwan International Ports Corporation was founded in 2012 and falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Typhoon Mitag had struck parts of the island early Tuesday, but the skies had cleared by the time the bridge collapsed.media showed the large steel arch still upright in the water, with rubble at both ends.