TOP: A workman guides a steel bucket which brought relief supplies to the affected side of the Balandra bridge as his colleagues (in background) take a break, after the dismantling and removal of a crane which caused the collapse of the bridge.

ABOVE: MP for Toco/Sangre Grande Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj, second from right, and councillor Terry Rondon, second from left, assist villagers in loading a steel basket with relief supplies to be airlifted to stranded villagers in Balandra yesterday. PHOTOS: MARCUS GONZALES

Work has already begun on the construction of a new Bailey bridge, after the collapse of the 100-year-old Balandra bridge on Saturday afternoon. The bridge is expected to be ready later today. Up to late yesterday, workers of the Ministry of Works and Transport Highways and Drainage Divisions were working to erect the bridge, which would allow access to several remote communities.
Distress was caused to nine communities along Trinidad’s north-east coast. The bridge provides access to areas such as Toco, Rampanalgas and Matelot. Councillor for the area, Terry Rondon, said two emergency evacuations took place on Saturday night.

“A woman who was in labour and another man who had severe chest pains had to be evacuated and taken to hospital,” Rondon said. “We had ambulances on standby so it was smooth sailing when they were brought on this side. We also removed several elderly persons from the communities which were cut off.” He said residents were very helpful in assisting with transporting relief items into the affected villagers. Rondon commended officers of the Eastern Division, particularly the Task Force, for providing safety and security in the affected areas. Some villagers were left without a supply of water because a main pipeline was damaged when the bridge collapsed. However, officials of the Water and Sewerage Authority were busy working in the area in an attempt to restore the commodity.

Member of Parliament for Toco/Sangre Grande, Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj, confirmed work on the bridge had already begun.
“We have been working day and night since this incident in an attempt to bring normalcy back into the affected communities,” she said. Ojah-Maharaj said as she assisted in loading cases of bottled water into a steel bucket. The water was among foodstuff which were airlifted by a multi-lift crane to the other side of the bridge where the villagers were cut off by the collapse of the bridge. As the tide began to rise, a pirogue named “Pookie” entered the river from the sea and transported people from one end of the bridge to the other. Ojah-Maharaj said workmen were able to dismantle the crane and remove it from the river. The rest of the concrete and steel bridge was later removed.

“Because of the high tide yesterday, they were unable to remove the crane and bridge from the river...It had nothing to do with the late arrival of the new Bailey bridge,” she said. She was also critical of people who were reporting false information to members of the media. “There are a few people who seem to be capitalising on the situation up here by reporting misinformation in an attempt to give the impression that we are not doing anything,” she said.
“That is not so.” The Regional Corporation provided hundreds of meals to people who were temporarily housed at the Balandra RC and Toco Composite Schools and camp sites which were converted into shelters.

Many people remained on the beaches and camped in their vehicles.
Some villagers, anxious to get from one side of the bridge, waded through the river holding tightly on to a thick piece of cable for support, which was tied from trees on either side of the bridge.
It was around 12.45 pm last Saturday when the old bridge collapsed and the crane which was being driven on it fell into the river.