A section of a recently opened bridge in southwestern China’s Sichuan province collapsed yesterday following landslides triggered by unstable terrain, local authorities confirmed. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
According to officials in the city of Maerkang, the 758-metre-long Hongqi Bridge—part of a national highway connecting central China with Tibet—had been closed to traffic on Monday afternoon after cracks appeared on nearby slopes and roads, and ground shifts were detected on a mountain near the site.
By Tuesday afternoon, conditions on the mountainside deteriorated further, causing multiple landslides that led to the collapse of the bridge’s approach section and roadbed, the local government said.
The Hongqi Bridge had only recently been completed earlier this year, according to a video shared online by its contractor, Sichuan Road & Bridge Group. — Reuters
