Ten workers in Colombia lost their lives when the bridge they were working on unexpectedly collapsed. The 15,000-foot long bridge, located in the mountainous region of central Colombia, fell 900 feet from the point of suspension, and ten men along with it.
The victims were working doing drainage of the ‘Chirijara’ bridge meant to connect the city of Villavicencio and Bogotá. More than halfway through construction, 260 feet from completion, it collapsed, causing ten men to plummet 900 feet.
Nine passed away immediately, and the tenth succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Coviandes, the construction company behind ‘Chirijara,’ published the names of the nine who lost their lives at the site. “We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” read the statement.
It also stated that several workers who got injured were receiving treatment and 11 are reportedly missing. The National Infrastructure Agency of Colombia (ANI) is currently investigating the cause behind the bridge giving in and released the following statement:
“We deeply regret what happened this day. We’ve already requested Coviandes to take the necessary measures to support the deceased worker’s families. We’ve also requested an inventory and detailed report that will allow us to begin an investigation to determine what caused this.”
This article was inspired by THE NEW YORK TIMES // Colombia Bridge Collapse Throws Workers to Their Deaths