CEBU CITY -- Four people, including an Austrian tourist, were killed when a bridge in Loay town, Bohol collapsed on Wednesday afternoon.
The fatalities were identified as Michael Ouschan from Austria; Arnes Silos from Dauis, Bohol; Emilia Gemina from Villalimpia, Bohol, and Epifania Oñada from Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
The Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) said that as of 8 a.m. on Thursday, 12 survivors have already been identified.
Bohol Governor Art Yap said the Austrian Embassy in Manila has been informed of the death of one of its citizens.
“We have contacted the Austrian Embassy about repatriating his remains,” Yap said in a video message on Thursday.
The governor said the provincial government and local government of Loay will be extending support to the victims and survivors of the tragedy.
Ouschan and his wife were reportedly in Bohol for their honeymoon. The wife was one of those who were rescued.
Yap said an investigation is still ongoing to determine what caused the Clarin Bridge to collapse.
The Provincial Government of Bohol said that according to the initial reports from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the bridge may have collapsed due to ‘overloading’.
“According to Engr. Magiting Cruz of the DPWH, the possible cause why the bridge collapsed was because the bridge is only for flowing traffic. What happened was that the traffic became stationary,” said Yap.
“And there were a lot of vehicles on the bridge and the bridge could not take the weight. That’s the reason why it collapsed,” Yap added.
Constructed in the 1970s, the bridge had undergone retrofitting after a 7.2-magnitude quake hit Bohol in 2013. The decade-old structure was supposed to be replaced by a new bridge that was supposed to be inaugurated in the first half of this year.
Initial reports said that at least 12 vehicles were found submerged. The submerged vehicles included six four-wheeled cars, one dump truck, three tricycles and two motorcycles.
Yap and Loay Mayor Hilario Ayuban, said rescuers have shifted to search and retrieval operations around 8 p.m. but it was temporarily halted around 11 p.m. to ensure the rescuers’ safety.
Operations only resumed on early Thursday morning, April 28.