As Typhoon Conson touched Vietnam on Saturday, its strong winds swept away three cargo vessels, causing them to swerve and collide into Hai Phong's Binh Bridge. Parts of the bridge were damaged as the cranes from Vinashin Orient and Shinsung Accord smashed against the structure, causing several of its steel cables to bend and snap. The rear tower of the Vinashin Express 01 caused damaged on some portions of the bridge’s fence as well.

Due to the damages on the 1280m-long bridge connecting Hai Phong’s downtown and Thuy Nguyen district, traffic on the suspension bridge was temporarily halted to ensure motorists’ safety. Beginning Sunday morning, a couple of tug boats successfully dislodged two of the vessels while Vinashin Orient was finally pulled free on Monday.

The typhoon stranded several ships across the Southeast Asian region before hitting Vietnam on Saturday evening. Causing around 40 lives in the Philippines and 2 in China, and leaving tens of thousands homeless, Typhoon Conson was earlier expected to hit the entire southeast region. Though reduced to storm after brushing China, strong winds and heavy rains caused the waters in the country’s coastal regions to rise. In Nam Dinh province, large waves pounded against the coastline as people watched the water rise up to 5 meters high.

After dislodging the 3 ships and necessary assessments were done, Binh Bridge was re-opened to pedestrians and motorists on the morning of July 19. With the existing damages, precautions will continually be observed until authorities restore the bridge to its full operation.