The Government of the Federal District (GDF) will send eight specialized firefighters from the Fire Department to support rescue operations for victims of the accident involving the Juscelino Kubitschek bridge, which connects the states of Tocantins and Maranhão.
According to the Fire Department, the team will assist in the search for missing people and in the lifting of trucks and vehicles involved in the accident. In addition to professionals, the GDF also provided equipment to reinforce the operation, including:
- Diving equipment: cylinders, valves, balancing vests, weights and others;
- Refloating materials: three cushions and nine lifting globes;
- Rescue materials: ropes, cargo straps, carabiners and other technical support items.
“The CBMDF highlights that the team and equipment were strategically selected to meet the demands of the operation safely and efficiently,” stated the corporation in a statement. Firefighters also expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
The sending of soldiers and equipment was a request from the Government of the State of Maranhão and the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).
Currently, the search operation for victims includes 44 military personnel from the Brazilian Navy, divers, aircraft crew, experts to analyze river waters and personnel from the Fire Department, Military Police and Civil Police of Tocantins and Maranhão.
The most recent Navy bulletin, sent to the press this Saturday morning (28), reports that nine people died and another eight are missing.
Resumption of searches
The National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit) authorized the resumption of searches for victims this Saturday (28). The referral came after confirmation that the bridge structure is stable.
According to information from Dnit, confirmation of the structure allowed teams to return to searching for the missing.
On Friday (27), the searches had been interrupted because the bridge had structural problems. Dnit reported that it will continue to monitor the structure constantly.
In addition, the Dnit is organizing passenger transport between states, with ferries expected to start operating next week, allowing people to cross while the bridge is being rebuilt.
Bridge collapse
The Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge, which connects the city of Aguiarnópolis, in Tocantins, and the city of Estreito, in Maranhão, collapsed last Sunday afternoon (22), on the BR-226 (TO) highway, over the Tocantins River.
Three trucks carrying 22,000 liters of pesticides and 76 tons of sulfuric acid, a corrosive chemical, also fell into the river.
The removal of containers of chemical compounds from the Tocantins River will only begin after the search for missing people has ended. A special operation coordinated by a specialized company will work on removing chemicals from the water.
This content was originally published in Bridge collapse: GDF sends divers to reinforce searches on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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