KANCHANABURI - An operation to salvage the submerged pieces of the collapsed section of Kanchanaburi's famous Uttamanusorn Bridge, the country’s longest wooden bridge, was called off on Thursday because of turbulence in the Song Ka Lia River.
Police divers began their first day of operation late Thursday morning to search for and remove pieces of the fallen Uttamanusorn bridge to reuse them for the repairs. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
Widely known as Saphan Mon, the 850 metre-long wooden bridge built across the Song Ka Lia River in Sangkhla Buri district 26 years ago was torn apart by strong currents on July 28.
The collapsed section is in the middle and about 70m long.
A 50-strong team of police divers, rescue workers, soldiers and national park officials began their first day of operation late Thursday morning to search for and remove pieces of the fallen bridge to reuse them for the repairs.
A team of police divers found piles of timber about 15-20 metres underwater and 80 metres from the location of the bridge downriver. The timbers and pieces of wood were covered with a large amount of mud. Authorities brought in rafts and winches to try to recover the pieces from the riverbed.
The divers planned to tie cables attached to winches to the larger structures but were unable to do so after they descended 10 metres and found the turbulence had stirred up the mud, reducing their visibility.
The team called off the operation and asked for advanced heavy equipment from the Engineer Regiment of Phanu Rangsi military camp in Ratchaburi province. They will resume the salvage operation on Friday.
Photo by Thiti Wannamontha