The Satok Suspension Bridge, one of Kuching's well-known historical landmarks, collapsed early this morning.

According to a resident who lived around the area, the supporting steel cables at one end snapped, bringing the 130m long, 2.3m wide bridge down into the Sarawak River that separates the old Kuching town from the northern bank.

It is believed that the cable anchoring base at one end had given way, bringing the 78-year-old bridge which is next to the dual-lane Tun Rahman Yakub Bridge down.

No one was hurt in the incident which happened at about 4am.

The resident said, "When on my way early this morning to send my children to school, I saw there was already a big crowd near the site."

The bridge was built in 1926, at the time of Rajah Charles Brooke the Second White Rajah, after nearly a quarter of a century of planning. It was regarded at that time as an extraordinary engineering feat.

Major tourist attraction

It was designed to hold water pipes on opposite sides of the Sarawak River. In the early days, the Satok Suspension Bridge was also open to light traffic as well as pedestrians crossing over to the Matang area.

When it was thought to be no longer safe, it was closed to traffic many years ago.

Tourism authorities have promoted it as one of the major attractions to Kuching which tourists see on their way to the seaside resorts in Damai, Santubong.

Many local residents have said they are sad that the bridge, one of the great relics of Kuching from the White Rajah era, has not been well-maintained, despite its importance.

Officials are saying that the government will decide what to do next, and it is thought likely that because of its historical and tourist importance they will re-build it, incorporating various new security features and facilities on site, to preserve its attraction.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that The Public Works Department (PWD) will conduct a study on the re-construction of the bridge.

Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu said the results of the study would be submitted to the state cabinet to decide whether or not to rebuild the bridge, one of the oldest landmarks in the country.

"The decision whether to re-construct the bridge will depend on our (state government) financial capability." he added.