5 missing in China’s Sichuan as bridge collapse sends cars plunging down slopes

Latest in series of infrastructure-related disasters this summer comes as extreme weather triggers floods and landslides around China

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Bridges and tunnels make up 82 per cent of Sichuan’s Yakang expressway, which was hit by a mudslide early on Saturday. Photo: CCTV

Published: 2:25pm, 3 Aug 2024Updated: 9:53pm, 3 Aug 2024

A highway bridge between two tunnels in southwest China’s Sichuan province collapsed in a mudslide in the early hours of Saturday, sending three vehicles plunging into mountainous terrain.

One passenger was rescued and five others were missing as of noon on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing authorities in Sichuan Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, where the accident occurred.

It is China’s second bridge collapse in less than a month.

The accident took place at around 3.30am when a sudden mudslide hit the Kangding-Luding section of the Yakang expressway. The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent around 300 rescuers to the site and work is under way.

In nearby Ridi village, “a sudden mountain torrent and landslide” on Friday night destroyed homes, killed at least two people and left 12 missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, quoting the Ganzi government.

While summer is typically the rainy season in most of China, episodes of extreme weather have become more frequent this year, with heavy downpours triggering floods, landslides, dyke breaches and road collapses across the nation.

A little over two weeks ago, another highway bridge collapsed in Shangluo, in the northwestern province of Shaanxi. The death toll from the tragedy on July 19 has climbed to at least 38, with 24 still missing, Xinhua reported on Friday. Authorities have confirmed that 25 vehicles were swept away after a three-lane section of the bridge plunged into a river following a sudden downpour and flash floods.