AN old bridge that spans the Balandra river failed just around noon yesterday when a 50-tonne crane was crawling across it, sending bridge, crane and the crane driver plummeting into the churning waters of the swollen river.
There were no injuries as a result of the collapsed bridge.
The large crane in question was being used in the construction of a new bridge at the side of the old one. Another crane being used on the project was used to help those stranded to cross, with the derrick being extended across the river to form a make-shift bridge.
Cars could not cross on the crane’s derrick, however, and weekend visitors to the area were forced to leave their vehicles in a safe place in Toco or beyond, cross the derrick and then seek transportation on the other side.
Keino Gonzales who arrived on the scene just after the incident said when he got there no officials from the Ministry of Works, the Office of Disaster Preparedness (ODPM) or the police had yet arrived on the scene.
’People just watching from either side,’ he said. ’Nobody cyar cross boy ... is real chaos!’
A media release from the ODPM issued at 1.30 p.m., however, said that the Ministry of Works advised that the B1/18 Bridge on the Toco Main Road had collapsed earlier in the day, and that there was a traffic back-up.
’The response agencies have been notified and are on location trying to rectify the problem as soon as possible in order to bring relief to residents and commuters,’ ODPM said.
There were many complaints from people at the scene.
’Is ten years they building this bridge,’ said one man. ’The government just don’t care about we,’ he said.
One elderly woman muttered, ’I sorry for Trinidadians.’
MP for Toco-Manzanilla, Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj, who arrived on the scene later in afternoon, told the Sunday Express: ’The bailey bridge (a temporary bridge like the one used in Macoya) is on its way, the floodlights on its way, the ODPM is here, the police here, the Regional Corporation here, we are here, and we are doing whatever we can.’
She added: ’We are doing the best we can do ... look how much rain it had today.’
-Gyasi Gonzales
