Bridge collapses when vehicles cross in the Brazilian Amazon

At least three dead and up to 15 missing after bridge thought to be cracked gave way.

At least three people have been confirmed dead, with up to 15 missing after a bridge collapsed as vehicles were crossing it in the northern Brazilian state of Amazonas, firefighters and local media said.

The Amazonas Fire Department said Wednesday it was searching for more than a dozen people after the concrete bridge on highway BR-319 collapsed in Careiro, a city about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the city. provincial capital, Manaus.

Some vehicles were crossing the bridge at the time it gave way and 14 people were injured, authorities added. Photos showed the center section of the bridge over dark brown water with some vehicles, including a white truck, submerged in the river.

Local media outlet G1 quoted several witnesses as saying the bridge had developed a crack, which was causing a traffic jam before it collapsed.

The state government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.