The 42-m long section of the bridge, weighing 60 tonnes, collapsed at 3pm.

The bridge spanning the Cho Dem River is a part of the eight-lane HCM City-Trung Luong Highway, which is being built in HCM City’s Binh Chanh District.

Transport on the Cho Dem River was blocked after the accident.

Nguyen Thanh Tai, deputy chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, and Tran Quang Phuong, director of the HCM City Department of Transport and Public Works, arrived at the scene of the accident to assess the cause of the collapse.

The US$9.5 million bridge is being built by Thang Long Construction Corporation, and the investor in the project is the My Thuan Management Board.

The 62km HCM City-Trung Luong Highway runs from Cho Dem in Binh Chanh District to Chau Thanh District in the southern province of Tien Giang. Its construction started in 2004.

The city said an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.