The People’s Court in the northern province of Lai Chau sentenced three defendants to a combined 23 years of imprisonment on July 23 over the collapse of the Chu Va 6 suspension bridge in Tam Duong district that killed eight people and injured 38 others in February last year.

Nguyen Van Ky and Bui Hai Son, who are charged with “violating construction regulations, causing serious consequences,” were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each.

Hoang Dinh Van will spent three years in prison for “negligence of responsibility causing serious consequences”.

Both Ky and Son are banned from jobs related to construction activities for five years from the day they are released from prison; Van faces a two-year ban.

The defendants were also ordered to pay more than 2.5 billion VND (114,600 USD) in compensation to the victims and their relatives. Representatives of the deceased victims will each receive 120 million VND (5,500 USD) in compensation, while other victims will get between 2 and 60 million VND (91-2,750 USD) each.

According to the verdict, from August 31, 2012 to December 26, 2012, the Ky Hoa Private Construction Company directed by Ky failed to abide by the law during the construction of the Chu Va 6 suspension bridge, producing and installing a faulty turnbuckle that did not correspond to the approved design.

Van, head of the Tam Duong District Project Management Board, allowed Bui Hai Son to assume the role of technical supervisor of the district Project Management Board despite being aware of Son’s lack of proper licensing. Son then violated regulations on project supervision, checking and taking over the project despite the errors.

In February 2014, the 58-metre long suspension bridge collapsed as a funeral procession bearing a coffin made its way toward a cemetery on the other side.

The group fell 9 metres down into a ravine full of large, sharp rocks. Three people were killed instantly, five others died at a nearby hospital and 38 were injured.-VNA