Bridge collapse: Concrete foundation fails to support additional weight

KUALA LUMPUR: The special committee set up to investigate the Kuala Dipang suspension bridge collapse in Perak has found the main cause of the collapse to be the failure of the concrete foundation block at the Pylon A to support the additional weight on the back-stay cables.

It said the bridge sponsored by the private sector was not built according to the engineering design code or good work specification.

Director-General of Education Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom — who chairs the investigation committee — said that according to the Public Works Department (PWD), the live weight on the bridge able to be supported by the concrete foundation was only 0.08 kN/m or the equivalent of a maximum of eight pupils (if each pupil weighs 35kg) at a time.

His ministry would get the views of the Works Ministry, PWD, Malaysia Construction Industry Development Board and the Attorney-General's Chambers on the action to be taken against the parties responsible, he added in a statement today.

In the incident on Oct 26, three pupils, N Dina Devi and M Devatharshini from SJK (T) Mambang Di Awan and V Divyashree from SJK (T) Gopeng fell into the Kampar River and drowned when the suspension bridge they and several other pupils were walking on collapsed.

The pupils were taking part in a 1Malaysia Camp for primary school pupils at the Kinta South Co-Curriculum Centre in Kuala Dipang, Perak.

Following the incident, a special committee was set up by Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to investigate the incident.

The committee is also made up of the state Education Committee chairman, Perak PWD director and the Kampar district police chief. — Bernama