Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge collapse

Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge collapse

Aftermath of the bridge collapse
Date	22 December 2024
Time	c. 2:50 p.m. (UTC−3)
Location	Between Estreito, Maranhão, and Aguiarnópolis, Tocantins, Brazil
Coordinates	6°33′36.15″S 47°27′34.9″W
Type	Structural failure (bridge)
Deaths	6
Missing	+10

On 22 December 2024, the central portion of the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge, crossing the Tocantins River as part of the BR-226 and BR-010 highway and connecting the municipalities of Estreito, Maranhão, and Aguiarnópolis, Tocantins, Brazil, collapsed, killing at least 6 people and missing more than 10 others.

Background

The bridge in 2008

The bridge, inaugurated in January 1961 and named after Brazil's president at that month, Juscelino Kubitschek, was 533 meters long and has a free span of 140 meters, a record at the time. It integrated the Belém–Brasília Highway, an important route for cargo transport within the country. In 2020, the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT), a federal government agency, had already reported several problems, such as cracks and inclinations in the pillars. In May 2024, the agency itself opened a process to hire companies and reform the bridge, which ended up not going ahead. A video filmed by a local councillor who went to the bridge to show the cracks captured the beginning of the collapse.

Collapse

The collapse occurred on 22 December 2024, around 2:50 pm. local time. Ten vehicles fell into the river. In addition to the fatalities, trucks suspected to be transporting about 76 tons of sulfuric acid and 25,000 liters of pesticide also plunged, causing concerns about the risk of contamination of the Tocantins River. The neighbor Estreito-Aguiarnópolis Railway Bridge was not affected by the failure.

Aftermath

Minister of Transport, governors of Maranhão and Tocantins, Renan Filho, Carlos Brandão and Wanderlei Barbosa, during a press conference about the bridge collapse.

Reactions

Brazilian president Luís Inácio Lula da Silva expressed condolences to the victims' families and stated on his social media: "I follow with great attention the unfoldings of the collapse of the Juscelino Kubitscheck de Oliveira bridge, between the states of Tocantins and Maranhão."

He also said he sent the minister of transport Renan Filho to monitor and provide support in the situation. The minister, together with the governor of Tocantins Wanderlei Barbosa, announced the investment of more than R$100 million for the immediate reconstruction of the bridge.

The governor of Maranhão Carlos Brandão assured that there is no risk of contamination of the river waters.

Victims recue efforts

Until 25 December, after submerged searches, six bodies were found. More than 10 people are still presumed to be missing.