Two vessels collide with Demerara Harbour Bridge, no damage reported

Guyana: Two massive vessels reportedly collided with the Demerara Harbour Bridge of Guyana on Tuesday afternoon, shifting some of the spans.

The initial reports outlined that a trawler and tugboat hit the span 26 and 27 of the bridge respectively, causing major chaos among the public over the bridge. However, the authorities cleared that the accident did not cause much disruption and termed it a “minor accident”.

Notably, a trawler had first collided with the bridge and subsequently, a tug that went to rescue the first vessel had crashed because of the heavy tides. The warnings have also been issued for the tugboat not to go near the bridge to offer assistance due to the direction of the tide, despite that, the boat went ahead and came into contact with the bridge too.

Two collisions at the same time with the bridge caused chaos among the public and the photos and videos went viral on social media. However, the authorities and the management of the Harbour Bridge stated the accident did not result in any major structural damages to the bridge.

The officials noted that there is no disruption for the commuters as the traffic continues to flow in both directions on the Demerara Habour Bridge. The Management also assured that all efforts are in place for the safe transit of commuters and that no major happening has occurred at the site.

Further, operators of heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks are advised to heed the speed limit while crossing the bridge. The assessment is currently underway to determine when it is possible to remove the vessels and make necessary realignment.

The two vessels are still positioned and fastened to the bridge as the tide water is heading northbound, so the officials stated that when the tide changes around 10: 00 pm, then only the operation to remove the vessels will commence.

Netizens have responded to the situation and demanded a proper investigation into the matter. They have asked the government to take precautionary measures and some also appealed for license cancellations for the owners of the tugboat.

The bridge has been facing several collision incidents in recent years, as in September 2019, a tug and barge collided with the bridge, resulting in the closure of the bridge for traffic flow or any other use. In addition to that, an oil tanker Tradewind Passion also crashed into the bridge in October 2022 which has remained quite costly for the authorities as the repair received a whopping GY$1 billion.

The entire scenario led people to raise their voices against the multiple collision and demanded proper safety for the public. As per the public, the bridge is the major infrastructure of Guyana which connects Georgetown with the Western Region, so the safety measures should be adopted properly.