A significant incident occurred in China’s southwestern Sichuan province when a section of the newly constructed Shuangjiangkou Hongqi Bridge partially collapsed. On Tuesday afternoon, parts of the bridge fell onto a rocky mountainside, generating clouds of dust in the process. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported.
Footage of the bridge failure quickly circulated on Chinese social media platforms, raising concerns among the public. The Shuangjiangkou Hongqi Bridge is an integral part of a national highway that leads towards Tibet and is situated in a region known for its seismic activity. This area was notably affected by a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake in 2008, which resulted in over 69,000 deaths and thousands more unaccounted for.
City officials from Ma’erkang, also known as Barkham in Tibetan, along with local police and transport authorities in Aba Prefecture, noted that the bridge had been shut down the previous day after cracks were discovered on the roadway and the adjacent slope. The situation escalated following a landslide that caused both the bridge approach and the roadbed to give way.
As authorities conduct further investigations and assess the damage, the focus remains on ensuring the safety of the community and assessing the structural integrity of the remaining infrastructure. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining safety in areas prone to geological disturbances.