Brazil: A boat collides with a large bridge in Rio de Janeiro

“The Rio-Niteroi bridge was closed in both directions due to a drift boat colliding with the bridge,” Rio’s Federal Traffic Police (PRF) said on Twitter.

A video taken by the occupant of a car as he crossed the bridge, reported by local media, shows one of the ship’s towers extremely close and a noise that would correspond to the moment of the collision.

The concessionaire of the bridge “is verifying the impact of the collision on the structure. The first impression is that it has not had more serious consequences, but we will restart traffic only when we are sure,” Rio Mayor Eduardo Pes told local press. .

The Navy said in a statement that the ship’s moorings came loose “due to extreme weather conditions” on Monday afternoon and it would be towed to the port of Rio.

The boat, which belongs to the Navegaçao Mansur company, is “subject to legal proceedings” and had been anchored in Guanabara Bay since 2016 “without presenting any risk to navigation”, added the Navy, which will investigate the incident.

According to the O Globo newspaper, the ship is 200 meters long and 30 meters wide.

The Presidente Costa e Silva Bridge, commonly known as the “Rio-Niteroi Bridge”, is an important crossing point in the region as it connects the two cities across the bay.