On October 17th, the People’s Committee of Ca Mau province directed functional agencies to urgently inspect and handle the incident of a 31-ton truck crossing Rach Rang bridge, which has a load limit of only 3.5 tons. This incident caused serious damage and estimated losses of approximately 5 billion VND. The Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Mr. Huỳnh Quốc Việt, requested strict handling according to authority and a report on the results as soon as possible.
Rach Rang bridge after being damaged by an overloaded truck
Ca Mau Tightens Enforcement of Vehicle Load Regulations
Following the incident, functional departments have temporarily banned vehicles from traveling across Rach Rang bridge, allowing only motorbikes to pass to ensure traffic safety. This incident once again raises a warning bell about the situation of overloaded vehicles, especially in localities with weak bridge and road systems. Ca Mau is strengthening measures to handle overloaded trucks to prevent similar incidents.
31-Ton Truck Causes Severe Damage to Rach Rang Bridge
At approximately 9:50 AM on October 16th, driver P.Đ.P. (30 years old, from Quang Ngai province) drove a truck with license plate 76H-004.16 carrying goods with a total weight of 31 tons across Rach Rang suspension bridge spanning the Ông Đốc River (Tran Van Thoi town, Ca Mau). This action seriously violated the bridge’s permissible load limit of only 3.5 tons.
Overloaded truck violating weight regulations
Serious Consequences and Lessons Learned
As a result, Rach Rang bridge was severely damaged, the railings were deformed and sunken, posing a danger to other vehicles. Initial damage is estimated at 5 billion VND. Rach Rang bridge was built with an investment of 15 billion VND and put into use in 2010. This incident shows that compliance with vehicle load regulations is extremely important to ensure traffic safety and protect infrastructure.
Ca Mau Strengthens Inspection and Handling of Overloaded Trucks
The People’s Committee of Tran Van Thoi district affirmed that it will coordinate with functional agencies to investigate and clarify the causes and strictly handle violations according to legal regulations. At the same time, Ca Mau province will also strengthen inspection and handling of overloaded vehicles to avoid similar unfortunate incidents from happening again. The handling of overloaded trucks in Ca Mau will be implemented more strictly to deter and raise awareness of law compliance among vehicle owners.
