A heartbreaking video showed the moment a bridge in Brazil began to crumble before the span collapsed completely, leaving two people dead and 14 still missing.
The Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge, which connects the towns of Estreito and Aguiarnópolis over the Tocantins River, began buckling on Sunday at the exact moment a city councilor was filmed describing its deterioration.
The collapse sent ten vehicles plunging into the river below.
Authorities in Maranhão state confirmed that two people died in the collapse, while officials in Tocantins state said 14 people were still missing as of Monday morning.
Tocantins military police said on Monday that the navy and fire brigades in both states planned to resume the search for the missing.
Authorities have expressed concern about the condition of the Tocantins River because two trucks that fell from the bridge were carrying sulfuric acid.
Estreito’s civil defense said the trucks dumped about 120,000 liters of sulfuric acid and about 22,500 liters of insecticides and herbicides.
Elias Junior, a councilor in Aguiarnópolis, was recorded explaining the deteriorating condition of the bridge, which he said was caused by the constant passage of trucks.
Vehicles stopped on a section of the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge after the asphalt crumbled just before the center span collapsed, causing 10 vehicles to fall into the Tocantins River on Sunday. Two people have been confirmed dead
Aerial video of the central span of the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge, which collapsed on Sunday. Authorities confirmed that two people died in the collapse and 14 more were missing Monday morning
The council member’s video showed vehicles, including a semi-truck, driving onto the bridge as he showed cracks near the span.
Part of the bridge suddenly gave way when two people on a motorcycle approached it.
A second video, filmed by a bystander, showed the bridge’s main span completely collapsing.
Junior told a Brazilian news channel that he planned to walk to the center of the bridge to take photos of defects along the span, which opened in 1960.
Elias Junior, a city councilor, was recorded describing deteriorating conditions at the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge, which connects the towns of Estreito and Aguiarnópolis over the Tocantins River.
‘We came to show the situation, which is worrying. A lot of people talked about the cracks in it,” the councilor said.
‘I came to show it, but I didn’t think that at that moment of filming the bridge would collapse. “I’m still in shock and disbelief,” he added.
‘I filmed it to claim the appropriate authorities, and it was at that precise moment that it collapsed.
“We left in despair with our hands on our heads.”
Junior said the National Department of Transportation had patched potholes in the past.
“But the holes kept opening up,” he said.
‘There were rumors about a new bridge. We demanded this precisely because of the condition of the bridge,” Junior added.
Authorities said two trucks fell into the river, dumping about 120,000 liters of sulfuric acid and about 22,500 liters of insecticides and herbicides.
A resident filmed poor road conditions on the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge on Saturday, a day before it collapsed
The victims have been identified as Marçon Gley Ferreira, 42, and a 25-year-old woman named Alana. Both were riding motorcycles.
A 36-year-old man suffered a broken leg and was taken to a local medical facility.
The collapse occurred just a day after a man filmed himself on the bridge and pointed out dozens of potholes along the span.
“Have you ever thought about what would happen if this bridge collapsed?” he said.
‘Have you ever thought about what damage it would mean to both municipalities?
A local resident recorded the condition of the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge, which showed multiple potholes, a day before it collapsed
‘If a disaster happens here, they say no one warned us. But we’re here to warn you.’
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva went to X to express his condolences to the families of the victims.
He said Transport Minister Renan Filho would arrive on the scene to “provide all assistance from the federal government in resuming the rescue of victims and investigating what happened.”
“We will inspect the bridge over the Tocantins River that collapsed yesterday… determine who is responsible for what happened, take the appropriate measures at this time and start work to restore this important connection between the two states,” wrote Filho on X.