Philippines: 'New' bridge collapses

Manila: A freshly-minted bridge has crumbled under the weight of an apparent engineering snafu on Thursday, a government agency has announced.

At lease six people were reportedly hurt when the Santa Maria Bridge in Santa Maria town, Isabela province (in northern Philippines) came crashing down on February 27, 2025.

According to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office post on social media, it's been only two months since the bridge was opened to traffic.

Local media reported that the bridge collapsed on Thursday night.

The bridge's construction started in 2018, according to the initial report. It's not immediately clear who was the contractor.

The bridge connects the town of Cabagan to Santa Maria in Isabela province collapsed.

Only small vehicles were allowed since it was opened, according to the agency.

Local media also reported that the "new" bridge underwent a "retrofitting" recently.

An investigation is expected to establish the cause of the bridge to crumble, the responsbility of the entities and persons involved, and hold them to account.