Life in the seaside town of Nanfangao is slowly returning to normal two weeks after a tragic bridge collapse killed six and cut off the local fishing industry. Local shop owners were worried that the slump in business would continue through the four-day holiday last weekend. But they were relieved to see vacationers returning in droves.
This is Nanfangao, one of Taiwan’s largest fishing ports… local businesses are firing on all cylinders, with customers filling restaurants and packing the streets over the long holiday weekend.
This comes as a relief to the area, after a bridge collapsed on September 30, cutting off car and boat traffic. One restaurant owner says it hurt her business because over 500 fishing boats were locked in by the wreckage, preventing them from going out to sea to catch fish.
Although the collapse impacted the livelihood of the people of Nanfangao, the four-day holiday weekend helped reinvigorate the local economy.
Meanwhile, workers are continuing to remove debris from the collapse… including a 400 ton ship that was crushed by the bridge. Authorities have mobilized all manner of resources to clear the area. This work barge is the biggest of its kind in Taiwan. With it, workers have been able to remove large sections of the bridge in one go, allowing boats to finally pass through.
Investigators say they will examine all parts of the bridge to determine the cause of the accident.