Bridge Collapse in China Leaves 12 Dead, Four Missing

TDT | Manama

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A tragic accident struck northwest China on Friday when part of a bridge under construction collapsed into the Yellow River, killing 12 people and leaving four others missing, state media reported.

Video footage shared by China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed the middle section of the bridge’s massive arch suddenly giving way, crashing into the river below.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the collapse was caused by a steel cable failure. At the time, 15 workers and a project manager were on-site.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene, with hundreds of workers deployed to search for the missing. Images released by state media showed the bridge with its center section gone, surrounded by scaffolding towers and cranes.

The bridge is part of the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway project and is described as the world’s largest double-track continuous steel truss arch bridge. It is also the first of its kind to cross the Yellow River, China’s second-longest river.

Industrial accidents are not uncommon in China, where weak enforcement of safety standards has led to repeated tragedies. Just last December, 13 people went missing after a railway construction site collapsed in Shenzhen, with no survivors reported.