05 March 2001
More than 60 people are believed to have drowned after a coach and two cars plunged into the River Douro in Portugual when the bridge they were crossing collapsed. One of the piers of the 116 year old bridge is believed to have been swept away by strong currents after the river was swollen by heavy rain. The Entre-os-Rios bridge is 40km upstream of Porto and links the towns of Castello de Paiva and Penafiel. Public works minister Jorge Coehlo resigned immediately after the tragedy.
Health monitoring (1) |