Dramatic footage has revealed the shocking moment a recently completed bridge in southwest China suffered a catastrophic collapse, sending vast sections of concrete tumbling into the river below.
The Moment of Collapse
The 2,487-foot-long Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan province had only been finished earlier this year, forming a crucial link on a national highway connecting China's heartland with Tibet. Authorities were forced to close the structure on Monday after concerning cracks emerged on adjacent slopes and roads. The stability of the mountainside to which the bridge was anchored had significantly deteriorated, triggering landslides that ultimately compromised the bridge's integrity.
Video of the incident shows a tranquil mountain landscape suddenly disrupted by a massive dust cloud erupting from the bridge's wreckage. The footage captures concrete slabs shearing off and cascading down the mountain, crashing into the water. Thick dust blanketed the area where the bridge had stood moments before, though notably, more than half of the white stone structure remained standing after the initial collapse.
Aftermath and Investigation
As the dust began to settle, the full scale of the devastation became apparent, with piles of rubble littering the mountainsides. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident. According to NBC News, authorities in Sichuan have launched an investigation to determine the precise cause of the failure.
This event adds to a concerning pattern of bridge collapses in China in recent times. On August 12, workers were killed when a railway bridge in the Sichuan-Qinghai region collapsed. Earlier in 2024, a partial highway bridge collapse in Shaanxi province during a flood claimed 11 lives.
Contrasting Infrastructure Ambitions
These incidents stand in stark contrast to China's significant advancements in infrastructure, which include the recent opening of the world's tallest bridge. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, which opened in June, soars 2,050 feet above river level—nearly 656 feet higher than the Empire State Building.
This engineering feat, costing $283.4 million, spans 4,650 feet and is designed to slash travel time across the gorge from over an hour to just minutes. It represents the scale of China's bridge-building ambition, particularly in its mountainous regions where nearly 30,000 bridges have been constructed since the late 1970s.
