Several passenger and cargo vehicles fell into the Loboc River in Loay town, Bohol, past 4 pm on Wednesday, April 27, after the old Clarin bridge collapsed, according to the province’s Governor Art Yap.

Lieutenant Thomas Cheung of the Bohol Provincial Police Office told Rappler in a phone interview that at least four were killed in the bridge collapse and 18 others were injured as of 7:45 pm Wednesday.

One of the casualties is a foreign national, although Cheung did not disclose the identities of the victims nor origin of the foreigner yet. 

Yap said rescuers, emergency responders, and divers have already been deployed from different agencies in the province have already been deployed. 

The governor blamed the collapse of the old bridge on stationary traffic. 

“According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 3rd District chief Magiting Cruz, bridge collapse was for flowing traffic. There were a lot of cargo vehicles on the bridge, that’s the reason why they collapsed,” he said. 

Loay is a 5th class municipality in southern Bohol province  – with reports from John Sitchon/Rappler.com