The collapse happened at the site of the Can Tho Bridge over the Hau River in the south of the country. About 250 people were working on the bridge at 8am when a 90m section of the approach structure collapsed. Initial reports indicate that the accident may have been caused by a falsework collapse in a section where concreting had been under way in recent days.

The 2.75km-long structure has a 1km-long central section with a 500m cable-stayed main span. A Japanese consortium of Taisei, Kajima and Nippon Steel began construction three years ago, with completion due in 2008. Japan Bank for International Cooperation has provided US$300 million of funding for the scheme.