Presidential bridge collapses in Zamboanga Sibugay, truck plunges, driver injured

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur – A “Tulay ng Pangulo” bridge in Barangay Camanga, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay collapsed Monday afternoon, sending a loaded dump truck crashing into the river below and injuring its driver. Titay police said the incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. at the Tulay ng Pangulo in Purok African Daisy, Barangay Camanga. The vehicle, a white six-wheeler dump truck bearing plate number 2738 KAS, was driven by Rodolfo Ramos, 47, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, Titay. Initial investigation disclosed that the truck, owned by Marlo Delos Reyes, was carrying about 16 cubic meters of crushed rock bound for a concreting project in Barangay Camanga when the bridge suddenly gave way. The collapse caused the truck to plunge into the river, leaving the vehicle heavily damaged and rendering the bridge impassable to motorists and pedestrians. Ramos sustained injuries and was rescued before being rushed to Dr. George T. Hofer Memorial Hospital in Ipil town for treatment. Rodel Tubigon, chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), told the Inquirer that the Titay Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) and the local government and other agencies conducted an assessment of the damage and had implemented safety measures at the fallen bridge. Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the collapse and to evaluate the structural integrity of the facility, Tubigon stressed. Information Source: Inquirer NewsInfo