China Hongqi bridge plunges into river, months after opening

A newly opened highway bridge in southwest China’s Sichuan province dramatically collapsed, diving into the river after being badly affected by landslides, only months after its inauguration.

Concerning the serious situation, no fatalities have been reported because the bridge had been closed to traffic.

As reported by The Global Times, inspection crews on Monday discovered that a long, narrow crack opening appeared on the Earth’s surface in the terrain of a mountain.

The 758-metre long Hongqi bridge located in the western part of Sichuan was part of the national highway connecting the country’s heartland with Tibet.

The authorities have issued certain warnings to prohibit the entry of intruders, and immediately evacuated all inoperable vehicles on the bridge.

Meanwhile the video footage showed that an abutment of the bridge near the mountain slope disintegrated on Tuesday as a landslide demolished the foundations.

According to a video shared by the contractor Sichuan Road Bridge, the bridge construction was finished earlier this year.

The recent collapse raises concerns about the safety of China’s infrastructure after the recent bridge collapses.

It has been observed that extensive infrastructure was announced by the country over the past decade.

However, the recent incident demonstrates the spectacular collapse of the Hongqi Bridge, which occurred within months after its completion due to geological instability and massive landslides.

Nonetheless, the technical investigations and broader concerns about the incident have been arising simultaneously.