11 dead and dozens missing after highway bridge collapses in China due to floods and severe storms

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Chinese authorities say at least 11 people have died when a highway bridge in the northwest of the country partially collapsed as a result of severe storms and flooding.

The official Xinhua news agency said five vehicles that had fallen off the bridge had been recovered after the bridge in Shaanxi province collapsed at about 8:40 p.m. on Friday. A photo released by Xinhua shows part of the bridge broken off and falling at a nearly 90-degree angle into the rushing brown water below.

Rescue operations were still ongoing in the province’s Zhashui county on Saturday, and around 20 cars and 30 people were still missing.

As part of its economic boom in recent decades, China built a vast network of highways, high-speed trains and airports, which have largely contributed to further growth.

However, the dramatic decline in economic growth, inadequate infrastructure, inadequate safety controls and the need for industry to cut costs have led to a steady increase in fatal industrial accidents.

China’s western and southwestern provinces are particularly vulnerable to floods and landslides due to their mountainous landscapes and the powerful rivers that run through them. Mining, tourism and increasing urbanization have further disrupted the precarious balance of the natural environment that has been maintained for thousands of years.

Shaanxi is best known as one of the centers of Chinese civilization. It was here that the first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, emerged, leaving the famous Terracotta Army as his legacy outside the capital city of Xi’an, as part of a vast tomb complex that attracts numerous visitors every year.