11 dead, over 30 missing after bridge collapse in China

“Nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 people” are still missing after the highway bridge collapsed into the river below, video surveillance reported.

All 11 confirmed victims were found in five vehicles that have so far been recovered from the water, the broadcaster reported.

Images on state television showed a partially submerged section of the bridge with the river rushing over it.

Large parts of northern and central China have been hit by rain since Tuesday, causing flooding and significant damage.

On Friday, state media reported at least five people dead and eight missing after rains triggered floods and mudslides in the city of Baoji in Shaanxi.

State television showed images of residential areas completely flooded with muddy water as excavators and residents tried to clear the damage.

The semi-desert province of Gansu and Henan in central China, which border Shaanxi, were also hit by heavy rains this week.

In the city of Nanyang in Henan, as much rain fell earlier this week as in an entire year, according to CCTV.

China is experiencing a summer of extreme weather conditions, with heavy rains in the east and south, while large parts of the north are suffering from successive heat waves.

Climate change, which scientists say is being exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions, is causing such extreme weather phenomena to occur more frequently and with greater intensity.

In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, killing 48 people.

Earlier this month, a tornado swept through a city in eastern China, killing one person, injuring 79 and causing significant damage.

sbr/cwl/mtp