Barge collisions at My Chanh bridges in Quang Tri

On September 13, 2026, heavy rains and a tropical depression caused rising water levels in the Ô Giang and Ô Lâu rivers, leading three sand barges owned by the Quang Tri Nguyen Hoan Construction Materials Exploitation Company to break their moorings. The vessels were swept downstream, striking and becoming lodged under the My Chanh road and railway bridges in Nam Hai Lang commune, Quảng Trị province.

Rescue operations focused on extracting the vessels to prevent damage to critical infrastructure. By September 14, teams had successfully used heavy-duty cranes and water pumping to free the largest barge. However, one barge remained partially submerged and tilted, complicating further efforts. While road traffic on National Highway 1 continued normally, train speeds over the My Chanh railway bridge were restricted to approximately 15 km/h.

The Ministry of Construction has since directed local authorities and Vietnam Railways to assess the bridge's load-bearing capacity and repair an information cable conduit that was damaged during the collision. Investigations are underway to determine responsibility for the incident.