Beijing.-Authorities have confirmed the death of at least 15 people and the disappearance of 30 others after a partial collapse of a highway bridge in central China.
The collapse occurred in the city of Shangluo (Shaanxi province) and caused several vehicles to fall into the Jinqian River, which runs under the highway, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The cause of the collapse of the structure was a sudden rise in the river flow, according to provincial authorities.
A photo posted by China’s Xinhua news agency shows a section of the bridge broken and bent at a nearly 90-degree angle into the brown water below.
Following news of the accident, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged that all efforts be spared in rescue and relief work to safeguard the lives and property of those affected, as well as to assist the families of the victims.
On Saturday, rescue teams managed to rescue one person and recover seven of the vehicles that plunged into the water, while rescue operations continue. They also said that about 20 cars and 30 people were still missing.
The Ministry of Emergency Management, for its part, announced the dispatch of 736 experts, 76 vehicles, 18 boats and 32 drones to support rescue efforts.
The collapse raised further questions about the safety of China’s road and bridge infrastructure, which has been rapidly built in recent decades.
On Sunday, Beijing’s Ministry of Emergency Management issued a notice, saying lessons must be drawn from the most recent collapse. “We must resolutely prevent disasters that could lead to deaths and mass casualties,” the statement said.
A similar collapse in May in Guangdong province killed 36 people.
Another landslide occurred over the weekend as rescuers continued to search Monday for dozens of people missing after heavy rains triggered flash floods and a bridge collapse in different parts of China, killing at least 25 people.
Flash flooding hit a village in southwestern Sichuan province at midnight on Saturday, with rescuers reporting 10 people dead and 29 others missing. Heavy rains over several days caused the river running through Xinhua village in Hanyuan county to swell. Local media reported that the floodwaters swept away 40 houses on the riverbank, as well as breaking bridges and cutting off roads.
Heavy rainfall and flooding pose a particular risk to mountain roads and motorway bridges due to erosion, debris flows and landslides.
With climate change, the world is likely to face more extreme weather and climate events, such as record temperatures and rainfall. This year, in the first five days of May alone, 70 countries or territories broke heat records.Infobae.
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2024-07-27 11:35:09
