Indonesian army to inspect nearly 3,400 bridges after collapse — Channel NewsAsia
Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak said the military will assess nearly 3,400 bridges being built by the army and police across the country. The inspection will be carried out after the collapse of the Pongpet suspension bridge in Margacinta village, Pangandaran Regency, West Java province. As Channel NewsAsia reports, the 60-metre bridge collapsed on August 30, its opening day, while about 50 people were on it.
The Indonesian army said there were no deaths in the incident, but several local residents sustained minor injuries and abrasions. The crossing is located about three metres above the river. About 400 million Indonesian rupiah, or US$22,622, is planned to be spent on rebuilding it.
Simanjuntak acknowledged that shortcomings may have occurred in overseeing bridge-use rules or in quality control of the structure. According to him, the army will conduct an assessment to improve the situation in the future.
Bridges and water supply
According to the general, in less than a year the army completed the construction of 2,700 bridges known as “Garuda” bridges. About 800 of them are located in areas affected by natural disasters, while around 30% of all structures are suspension bridges. In areas with heavy traffic, the military uses concrete bridges and also employs prefabricated structures to reduce costs.
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Last month, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto opened these bridges and 3,000 clean water supply facilities built by the army via videoconference. Simanjuntak noted that the military has an engineering corps that, among other things, builds bridges in wartime conditions, and that the army can engage external specialists if necessary.
Fire prevention measures
The army has also installed more than 400 wells in areas affected by forest and land fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra. According to CNA, the fires caused haze in the region, including in Singapore and parts of Malaysia. Simanjuntak said that the president instructed the military to use helicopters more effectively and carry out weather modification.
Thousands of military personnel were sent to fire-hit areas to warn residents against burning land to clear plots or plantations. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency is also expanding firefighting operations beyond six priority provinces.
