THIS is the horror moment a 1,750ft bridge collapsed and sent an acid tanker and six more vehicles plunging into a river.
The disaster killed two people, left up to ten others missing, and sparked fears of contamination from the sulfuric acid now leaking into the water.
The tragedy unfolded on the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge, a 1960s structure connecting the towns of Aguiarnopolis and Estreito in Brazil’s northeastern region.
The bridge is also a vital route connecting the states of Tocantins and Maranhao.
A video filmed just moments before the collapse by local councillor Elias Junior shows the bridge breaking apart as a pick-up truck screeches to a halt, just about avoiding the crumbling roadway.
Junior, who was inspecting visible cracks on the bridge with a friend, can be seen fleeing the structure as it gave way.
“If it hadn’t been for my friend, I might not be here today,” Junior later said, adding that the bridge had long been criticised for its deteriorating state.
“People always complained about how precarious it was.”
Among the vehicles that plunged into the river were two motorcycles, three lorries, and a car.
Authorities confirmed one of the lorries was a tanker carrying sulfuric acid, prompting rescue operations to be halted due to safety concerns.
Fire Brigade divers identified the hazardous spill and warned of its dangers to both the rescuers and the environment.
The victims included a 25-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man traveling on motorbikes.
Meanwhile, eight adults and two children, aged three and eleven, remain unaccounted for.
One man was pulled from the river alive and taken to the hospital with a broken leg.
Eyewitnesses described the bridge’s structural issues as a ticking time bomb.
“We all knew this was going to happen,” said a local resident.
“The bridge was opened in 1961 and has never been renovated.”
Officials have launched an investigation into the collapse, which is the latest in a string of transportation tragedies in Brazil.
The spillage of sulfuric acid into a river poses several risks to humans, including:
Just hours before the bridge disaster, 41 people were killed in a bus crash in Minas Gerais state, and 10 members of the same family perished in a plane crash in Rio Grande do Sul.
Environmental and civil safety concerns have also been raised due to the sulfuric acid spill, with authorities scrambling to assess the extent of the damage to the Tocantins River ecosystem.
The Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge was part of the BR-226 highway, a critical route connecting capital Brasília to the northern city of Belém.
The collapse has drawn sharp criticism of infrastructure oversight in Brazil, with residents and experts alike demanding accountability and urgent action to prevent similar tragedies.
