A toll bridge in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap collapsed on Friday when a truck weighing at least twice the bridge’s weight limit traveled on the structure, authorities said the same day.

Tan Nghia Bridge, situated in the namesake commune in Cao Lanh District, had its middle span giving way at around 2:00 pm.

At the time, a truck carrying cassavas with a combined vehicle and cargo weight of more than 17 metric tons was travelling on the structure.

The 11-year-old bridge was designed to sustain a maximum weight of only eight metric tons.

A truck carrying bags of cassavas is half-submerged in a canal in the aftermath of the collapse of Tan Nghia Bridge in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam on May 31, 2019 in this still photo taken from footage of the incident.

Three people, including truck driver and two on a nearby motor cart, were on the bridge at the time of the incident.

The collapse sent the middle span of the bridge and the vehicles falling onto a boat that was cruising underneath.

Officials said no one was hurt in the incident, although all vehicles involved were badly damaged.

Stretching 150 meters over the Thap Muoi Canal in Dong Thap, the Tan Nghia Bridge was open to traffic in December 2007.

Its VND5 billion (US$215,000) construction was carried out under a BOT (build-operate-transfer) contract.

A tollgate had been operated along with the bridge for over 11 years, before local authorities decided to buy the station from the developer in February, which put an end to the toll collection.

Friday’s collapse has forced locals to make a detour that is six kilometers farther to get from one side of the bridge to another.

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