A 60ft bailey bridge over Namchhu in Samtse which connects Dorokha, Dumtey, and Haa, had collapsed after an overloaded truck ferrying bitumen was plying over it on the night of December 30.

The bridge’s capacity was 8 metric tonnes (MT) but the truck of 12MT with another 12MT load was plying over it.

A driver and helper were in the truck and they escaped unhurt.

The Bailey bridge was constructed in 2018 as a temporary bridge to be used in summer when the river swells and it was only for light vehicles.

Sources in Dorokha said there is an alternative route where heavy vehicles could ply through but the truck driver had used the bridge.

Dorokha drungpa, Karma Jurmi, said the driver was travelling for the first time  and also during late night and did not know about the load capacity. “There is a signboard with all the necessary information.”

An engineer of the drungkhag, Penjore, said the bridge did not have major damages.

“Only three panels were damaged,” he said, adding that the drungkhag administration would talk to the truck owner and construct it again.

Staff reporter

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