A section of the recently inaugurated Hongqi Bridge in China’s Sichuan province reportedly collapsed into a river after a powerful landslide on Tuesday. Dramatic footage circulating online shows the bridge crumbling as the mountainside beneath it gave way. Authorities confirmed there were no casualties, and an investigation is underway into the cause of the disaster.
Bridge crumbles into river after landslide
Videos shared on social media captured the terrifying moment when the bridge’s concrete pillars tilted and collapsed, sending a large section plunging into the river below. A huge cloud of dust and debris filled the air as soil and rocks from the hillside engulfed the bridge’s foundation. According to reports, the Hongqi Bridge, part of a national highway connecting central China to Tibet, partially collapsed on Tuesday afternoon.
Bridge closed before collapse
Authorities said the bridge had been closed to traffic a day earlier, after cracks appeared on nearby slopes and roads and experts detected movement in the adjacent mountain. Despite preventive measures, the terrain deteriorated further, triggering a massive landslide that destroyed part of the 758-metre-long bridge and its approach road.
Preliminary findings indicate that geological instability in the steep mountain area was the likely cause. The region reportedly has a history of landslides. Officials have begun a technical investigation to determine whether any structural or engineering flaws also contributed to the collapse. The Hongqi Bridge, built by the Sichuan Road & Bridge Group, was considered a crucial link between Sichuan and Tibet and had only been recently completed.
The incident comes just months after another infrastructure failure in China a railway bridge collapse in Qinghai province in August, which killed 12 workers and left four others missing, according to Newsweek.
