Following a partial collapse of a road bridge in northwest China due to severe storms and flooding, at least 11 lives have been lost, according to officials. As reported by the Xinhua News Agency, five vehicles that plunged from the bridge were retrieved after the infrastructure in Shaanxi province gave way at 8.40pm local time on Friday. Xinhua released an image depicting a section of the bridge broken and leaning into the gushing brown waters underneath at nearly a right angle. Rescue efforts were still ongoing in Zhashui county in the province on Saturday, with about 20 cars and 30 individuals reported missing.
In the past decades, China’s economic surge led to the construction of a vast network of motorways, high-speed rail lines, and airports, fostering additional growth. However, inadequacies in the infrastructure, decreased economic growth, lax safety oversight and cost-cutting measures by profit-conscious industries have resulted in a series of fatal industrial accidents. The western and southwestern regions of China are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides due to mountainous terrains and strong rivers running through them. Activities such as mining, urbanisation, and the growth of the tourism industry have upset the long-maintained balance with the local environment.
Shaanxi province is renowned as a pivotal site of Chinese civilisation and the birthplace of the first Chinese emperor, Qinshi Huangdi. His legacy includes the famous terracotta army situated outside the capital Xi’an, part of a large tomb complex which draws enormous crowds of visitors every year. – AP