Al-Sarafiya bridge

The al-Sarafiya bridge (Arabic,جسر الصرافية) crosses the River Tigris in Baghdad. It was built in the 1940s[1] or 1950s[2] and connected the two northern Baghdad neighborhoods of Waziriyah and Utafiyah.

Having been previously damaged by American bombing in 1991, the bridge partially collapsed when an abandoned truck bomb exploded on April 12, 2007 at 0700 local time, UTC+3.[1] At least 10 people were killed and 26 injured, though there were reports of 20 more trapped in cars that had gone off the bridge.[3]

The bridge was reconstructed in a year and two months and reopened on May 27, 2008, when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki inaugurated it.[4]

It also used to be the longest bridge in the world during that time, as it was supposed to be built in Australia. Instead it was built in Baghdad by the British Mandate of Mesopotamia.

References

  1. 1 2 "Explosion targets Baghdad bridge". BBC News. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  2. "Deadly blast damages Baghdad bridge". Al-Jazeera. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  3. "Suicide truck bomb collapses Baghdad bridge". MSNBC. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  4. "PM inaugurates al-Sarafiya bridge in Baghdad". Voices of Iraq. 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-27.

Coordinates: 33°21′13″N 44°22′22″E / 33.35361°N 44.37278°E / 33.35361; 44.37278


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