A large-scale bridge in the southwestern China hydropower plant area suddenly collapsed into the river on November 11, causing concrete and steel blocks to fall into the river just a few months after being opened to traffic, according to Chinese state media.
An official of Barkam district, Tu Xuyen province confirmed the bridge collapse.
A video circulating on Chinese social media shows Hong Ky Bridge in Sichuan Province suddenly collapsing into the river, creating a huge mass of dust.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), the incident occurred at around 3:00 p.m. on November 11, near National Highway G317.
Traffic agencies and local police said that the right bank of the bridge had shown signs of deformation since the afternoon of November 10, just a few hours before the bridge collapsed.
The authorities then completely closed the bridge and issued a public warning about the risk of insecurity.
Hong Ky Bridge is located in the mountainous area of Barkam, Sichuan Province, and was completed earlier this year within the framework of the G317 National Highway project - an important traffic route connecting central China with Tibet.
The bridge is 758m long, about 625m above the abyss, with bridge piers up to 172m high. The project was built by Tu Xuyen Roads and Bridge Group - a state-owned enterprise - in an effort to expand the transport network to the Tay Tang plateau.
The cause of the bridge collapse has not yet been determined, but initial assessments suggest that unstable geology may be a contributing factor to the incident.
The authorities confirmed that there were no vehicles or pedestrians on the bridge at the time of the accident and that investigations were underway.
