PANAMA: Large portion of Centenario bridge over the Panama Canal collapses

Record ID: 216158

  • Title: PANAMA: Large portion of Centenario bridge over the Panama Canal collapses
  • Date: 13th December 2010
  • Summary: PANAMA CITY, PANAMA (DECEMBER 11, 2010) (REUTERS) PORTION OF COLLAPSED BRIDGE SIGN READS 'CENTENARIO BRIDGE' VARIOUS OF COLLAPSED PORTION OF BRIDGE EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ON BRIDGE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FEDERICO JOSE SUAREZ, MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS SAYING: "We continue to have a critical situation here. The rain has not stopped. While this continues it will be very difficult to work to stabilize the access ramp (the portion of the bridge that collapsed). The roadway's security has definitely been compromised here." COLLAPSED ROAD ON BRIDGE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FEDERICO JOSE SUAREZ, MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS SAYING: "The reason is that the filler dirt is saturated by the rain and collapsed (the bridge). It was moving laterally until it moved that part of the roadway and it keeps moving. It can not be controlled. We are speaking about something that is 60 meters high and important. Therefore, technically we are still unable to evaluate what is taking place. It is caused, logically, by the saturation due to water." VARIOUS OF PORTION OF COLLAPSED BRIDGE
  • Embargoed: 28th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Panama, Panama
  • Country: Panama
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA9Y8S2393CB3O1NYWYYTTC364I
  • Story Text: A large portion of the Centenario Bridge over the Panama Canal collapsed on Saturday (December 11).
    One of two structures that span the historic waterway, the Centenario inaugurated less than a decade ago collapsed when the side of a hill onto which the bridge is anchored lost a large portion of land because of excessive rain water.
    "The roadway's security has definitely been compromised here," said Federico Jose Suarez, Panama's Minister of Public Works. "The reason is that the filler dirt is saturated by the rain and collapsed (the bridge). It was moving laterally until it moved that part of the roadway and it keeps moving. It can not be controlled."
    The rain has caused ten deaths and created over five thousand homeless people in the last week due to rising floodwaters.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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