CANTHO City, Vietnam, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung has apologized for the collapse of an approach ramp leading to the Can Tho bridge, the longest in Vietnam's southern Mekong delta, which killed 50 people and injured 82 others.

    "This is the most serious problem and workplace accident in the transport sector. I apologize all people, victims, and the victims' families," he said in a meeting with reporters on Saturday afternoon.

    The ministry will consider its responsibility after the case's causes are investigated, he said, noting that at that time, he will consider resigning or not.

    The bridge's contractor should shoulder main responsibility for the accident, he added.

    The 90-m section of the newly-built ramp in Vinh Long province, which is 30 m above the ground, collapsed on Wednesday morning.

    Construction of approach ramps and the cable-braced bridge's main span over the Hau River, linking Can Tho city and Vinh Long, with total length of nearly 16 km, began in September 2004 with investment of over 4.8 trillion Vietnamese dong (302 million U.S. dollars) from official development assistance of Japan and the Vietnamese government's reciprocal capital. It is scheduled to be complete in December 2008.