A bridge which linked northern and northeastern regions of Brazil collapsed Sunday, killing at least one person and spilling sulfuric acid into the Tocantins River. Several vehicles were on the bridge, which links the cities of Estreito in Maranhão state and Aguiarnópolis in Tocantins state, when the accident happened.
The National Department of Transport Infrastructure said the central span of the 533-meter (0.3-mile) bridge gave way in the afternoon. A tanker truck that was carrying sulfuric acid plunged into the river, immediately raising concerns of environmental contamination.
Aguiarnópolis councilman Elias Junior was recording a video in an appeal to authorities to do something about the bridge, in deteriorating condition and not standing heavy truck traffic. The legislator points to a big crack on the bridge, he suddenly saw it collapse and had to retreat fast. The authenticity of the video has not been independently verified, and Junior has not responded to requests for comment.
Preliminary reports indicate that at least 11 individuals were involved in the accident, with two trucks, a car, and a motorcycle plunging into the river, which is over 50 meters (164 feet) deep. By early evening, rescue divers suspended their operations after discovering that one of the submerged tankers was leaking sulfuric acid, according to the Tocantins fire department.
The first one, inaugurated by President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira in 1960, was a reinforced concrete bridge part of BR-226 – the highway that links the Federal Capital, Brasília, with Belém, a northern city that will host, next year, the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
