Police in Ho Chi Minh City have initiated a manhunt for the suspect who stole multiple drain hole covers on a newly-inaugurated US$133mn bridge after having identified many of the man’s features.

A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed on Friday that police in District 1 are investigating a case where more than 40 drain hole covers on Thu Thiem 2 Bridge were stolen.

Officers are now hunting for the suspect, the source added.

The man rode a red motorcycle and wore a blue shirt and black pants.

Residents who have any information about the suspect or the stolen objects are advised to contact the District 1 police unit via 0693.187.908.

A representative from Thien An Company, the constructor of Thu Thiem 2 Bridge, previously confirmed that 44 drain hole covers on the structure had been stolen on May 4 and 5.

The bridge has a total of 108 drain hole covers, each measuring 23 centimeters in diameter and 2.5 centimeters thick.

Without these covers, the culverts can be easily blocked by garbage, which affects the drainage capacity and poses dangers for commuters.

Thien An Company later tasked its employees with welding the remaining covers to prevent them from being taken away.

The firm temporarily replaced the lost covers with wooden ones while waiting for the new covers to be manufactured and installed, which takes about a month.

Spanning the Saigon River between District 1 and Thu Duc City, the cable-stayed Thu Thiem 2 Bridge stretches a total of 1.4 kilometers and has six lanes of traffic.

Costing VND3,082 billion ($133 million), the bridge was opened to traffic on April 28.

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