The Ponte dos Machados in São Manuel, São Paulo, collapsed on the night of Monday, the 23rd, due to the heavy rains that recently impacted the municipality. This isn't the first collapse for the bridge, as significant damage was reported during the rains in January 2025, leading to its reconstruction in February of that year. Just over a year after its rebuild, the bridge has succumbed once again to the power of the flooding waters, halting traffic in the area.

The local government provided a statement attributing the collapse to an excessive volume of rain that caused a strong water flow. They explained that the intensity of the floods had uprooted vegetation which subsequently obstructed passage under the bridge, ultimately compromising its structural integrity. This incident raises significant concerns regarding the infrastructure's resilience and the potential need for more rigorous assessments in high-risk weather conditions.

In the aftermath of the bridge's reconstruction in February last year, technical evaluations were conducted, and no structural damage was identified by the Civil Defense and engineering sector at the time. However, the recent collapse raises questions about the adequacy of these assessments and the structural sustainability of bridges in regions prone to such heavy rains, highlighting the ongoing challenges of climate change and urban planning in vulnerable areas of Brazil.