"Landslide Blamed as Newly Built Chinese Bridge Collapses Less Than a Year After Completion"

Signs of Trouble Detected a Day Before Hongqi Bridge Collapse
Chinese Authorities Respond Swiftly; No Casualties Reported

A bridge in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, collapsed just a few months after its opening.

The Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, has collapsed. Photo by Global Times China

According to reports from China's state-run Global Times and the U.S. Newsweek on November 12, authorities in Maerkang City, Sichuan Province, announced that a section of the Hongqi Bridge, located on a national highway connecting Tibet, collapsed in the afternoon of the previous day.

The Hongqi Bridge, which was completed earlier this year, spans a total length of 758 meters and connects central China to Tibet.

Video footage released by Global Times captured a massive cloud of dust rising from the riverbank beneath the bridge immediately after the collapse.

Chinese authorities stated that a landslide occurred due to instability in the surrounding mountainous terrain, which caused the bridge's access section and the road to collapse. No casualties have been reported as a result of the incident.

It was reported that unusual signs had been detected on the bridge a day prior to the collapse. On November 10, ground deformation was observed on the right slope of the Hongqi Bridge section. Authorities immediately launched an emergency response, evacuated all vehicles from the site, and restricted access to the area.

The collapse of the structure just months after its opening has raised concerns about safety management. Anxiety is growing, especially as a railway bridge in Qinghai Province also collapsed during cable tension adjustment in August, resulting in 12 deaths and 4 missing persons.

Newsweek reported, "China, which has driven economic growth through large-scale infrastructure investment, is now facing controversy due to poor management and reckless development in geologically unstable areas. While authorities have classified this incident as a 'natural disaster caused by a landslide,' experts are pointing to rapid development and lax supervision as underlying issues."

Sichuan Road & Bridge Group, the company responsible for construction, told Sichuan Daily that "the timing for the reopening of the road has not yet been determined."

Chinese authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.