The Federal Police reported that they began investigating the collapse of the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge, between Tocantins and Maranhão. In a note released on Tuesday (24), the corporation said that the preliminary investigation procedure has been initiated and that the actions will be carried out by the regional superintendencies of the Federal Police in Maranhão and Tocantins.
The structure, which was part of BR-226 and connected the states of Tocantins and Maranhão, collapsed on Sunday (22). So far, the information is that four people died and 13 are missing.
“The preliminary investigations will be carried out by the regional superintendencies of the Federal Police in Maranhão (SR/PF/MA) and Tocantins (SR/PF/TO). Furthermore, a precedent investigation procedure was established and federal police officers have already been deployed to collect data and evidence on the case. The teams will also assess the multidisciplinary nature of the necessary expertise and identify demands for technical equipment to deepen the investigations”, informed the PF.
The PF also said that it sent a team with five experts from the National Institute of Criminalistics (INC/DITEC), two civil engineers, two crime scene specialists and one environmental specialist, to the Federal Police Station in Imperatriz. The police will reinforce the forensic work.
“The Federal Police highlights the importance of investigating the causes of the accident and the resulting environmental damage, ensuring the responsibility of those involved and contributing to the safety and protection of the population and the environment”, says the note.
In addition to the PF, the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit) will investigate the causes of the accident. The agency reported that it opened an investigation to determine the causes and responsibilities for the bridge collapse.
The investigation work will begin this Thursday (26), when, according to the general director of Dnit, Fabrício Galvão, “the entire commission will move to the site of the collapse and begin collecting the necessary documents for the investigations. We even intend to activate bodies external to DNIT to participate in the work”.