At least 11 dead as bridge collapses in heavy flooding in China

The incident happened at around 8.40pm local time on Friday in the Shaanxi province. Chinese premier Xi Jingping has ordered a high-level rescue response, reported state-run media

By: irishmirror.ie

Jul 20 2024
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At least 11 dead as bridge col

At least 11 people have died and dozens more left missing after a highway bridge suddenly collapsed in northwest China, according to authorities.

The incident happened at around 8.40pm local time on Friday in the Shaanxi province. Chinese premier Xi Jingping has ordered a high-level rescue response, reported state-run media.

It comes amid heavy flooding in the region. One photo shows a section of the bridge snapped and folded down at almost a 90-degree angle into rushing brown water below, reports The Mirror.

It said rescue operations were still under way on Saturday in the province's Zhashui county, with some 20 cars and 30 people still missing. The national fire and rescue service said a rescue team of 859 people, 90 vehicles, 20 boats and 41 drones have been deployed to the scene. Five vehicles that had fallen into the river had been recovered as of Saturday morning.

Rescue efforts continued on Saturday — Volunteers clear mud and debris on a road in Baoji City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 19, 2024 (Image: No credit)

The bridge suddenly collapsed, killing at least 11 people — Rescuers drain floodwater in Baoji City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 19, 2024 (Image: No credit)

China's western and south-western provinces are particularly prone to flooding and landslides due to their mountainous landscapes and the powerful rivers that run through them. Mining, tourism and rising urbanisation have also disturbed the local landscape, increasing the risk of sudden floods.

Five vehicles have been recovered from the floodwater beneath the bridge — An excavator clears sludge in a river in Baoji City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 19, 2024 (Image: No credit)

A yellow alert, the third most severe warning, was issued by Chinese authorities on Thursday ahead of rainstorms in multiple parts of the country. It follows a summer of extreme weather in the Asian nation. One person died and 79 were left injured in a tornado in China's east earlier this month, while severe damage was also caused to buildings and infrastructure.

The region of Shaanxi, where the worst flooding has taken placed this week, is best known as one of the historical centres of Chinese civilisation. The first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, left the famed terracotta army as his legacy outside the capital Xi'an, forming part of a vast tomb complex that attracts huge numbers of visitors each year.

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