Four people remain missing after a vehicle plunged into the Tarlac River following the partial collapse of Agana Bridge on Aug. 29, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The vehicle was carrying five people when it was swept into the river. One occupant was rescued and is currently recovering in a hospital.
The four missing individuals were identified as Paul Harvey Collado, James Patrick Taborlupa, Shiela Mae Taborlupa and Shanen Tuhao.
The PCG said its search and rescue operation remains ongoing to locate the four missing occupants.
However, the operation was temporarily suspended because of strong river currents and low visibility, which posed risks to rescuers.
The Coast Guard Station Pampanga and Special Operations Unit NCR-Central Luzon are coordinating with local authorities to resume the search once conditions are safe for rescuers.
The PCG is working with disaster response teams from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, the Tarlac City Police Office and other responding agencies in the search operation.
Meanwhile, heavy equipment and materials have arrived for the construction of a temporary Bailey Bridge at the damaged Agana Bridge.
Preparations for the temporary bridge began more than a day after the Agana Bridge collapsed amid continued rains caused by the southwest monsoon, or Habagat.
The bridge’s partial collapse preceded the vehicle’s plunge into the Tarlac River, prompting the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Authorities continue to coordinate the response while waiting for conditions to become safe enough for rescuers to return to the river and continue searching for the four missing people.
The rescued occupant remains in a hospital recovering from the incident, while the identities of the four missing individuals have been released by the PCG as search efforts continue.
The temporary Bailey Bridge is also being prepared to address the damage to Agana Bridge following its collapse.
