2025-11-12 20:54
publication
2025-11-12 20:54
Geological instability may have been the cause of the collapse of a recently commissioned, 758-meter-long bridge in southwestern China, according to the first findings reported by the media on Wednesday.
Part of the Hongqi Bridge, which was intended to facilitate passage from Sichuan to Tibet, collapsed on Tuesday afternoon. In just a dozen or so seconds, the huge structure collapsed into the river below, creating a huge cloud of dust, and video recordings showing the moment of the disaster quickly became an Internet viral.
No one was injured in the crash because a day earlier, police in the city of Maerkang closed the bridge to traffic after cracks appeared on nearby roads. On Tuesday, heavy rainfall caused landslides, which led to the collapse of part of the bridge.
The construction of the Hongqi Bridge was completed at the beginning of this year and was officially opened just two months ago. As the media reminds us, there has been a construction boom in China for decades, resulting in the construction of many roads and bridges in previously inaccessible areas, as well as setting new records, e.g. in September, in the Guizhou province neighboring Sichuan, the world's highest bridge was opened, the roadway of which is 625 meters above the bottom of the gorge.
Crazy footage shows China's Hongqi bridge collapsing months after opening https://t.co/pxcLcg32aL pic.twitter.com/B65Pb4rCDE
— New York Post (@nypost) November 11, 2025
Tuesday's disaster reopens questions about the safety of these investments – Hongqi is the third bridge in China to collapse this year. (PAP)
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