A 200-meter (656-foot) suspension bridge in Ecuador collapsed on Wednesday, resulting in at least one death and leaving two individuals missing.
The incident occurred approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the port city of Guayaquil, causing four trucks, a car, and two motorbikes to plunge into the Magro River. Additionally, five people sustained injuries during the collapse.
At one end of the bridge, a truck carrying a load of corn was found overturned, teetering over the guardrail. The bridge serves as a vital connection between the province of Guayas, where Guayaquil is located, and neighboring northern provinces.
Guayas Governor Marcela Aguinaga reported that there had been no prior indications of structural issues with the bridge. She suggested that overloading might have been a contributing factor to the collapse, stating on social media platform X, “From what we can deduce at this point, the bridge was overloaded.”
This incident coincides with Ecuador’s rainy season, which has already led to significant challenges nationwide. Recent severe weather conditions have resulted in flooding and landslides, causing at least 20 fatalities and damaging 45 bridges across the country.
Authorities are conducting investigations to determine the exact cause of the bridge collapse and are continuing search and rescue operations for the missing individuals.
