12 killed, over 30 missing after bridge in north China collapses due to heavy rain

BEIJING - A bridge collapse caused by torrential rain in northern China has killed 12 people and left more than 30 missing, state media said on July 20.

Large parts of northern and central China have been battered in recent days by rain that has caused flooding and significant damage.

The bridge over a river in Shaanxi province’s Shangluo buckled at around 8.40pm on July 19 “due to a sudden downpour and flash floods”, state news agency Xinhua said, citing the provincial public relations department.

State broadcaster CCTV said nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 people remained missing after the highway bridge collapsed into the river below.

All 12 victims were found inside five vehicles recovered from the water, the broadcaster said.

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

One witness told local media that he had approached the bridge, but that other drivers started “yelling at me to brake and stop the car”.

“A truck in front of me didn’t stop” and fell into the water, the witness, surnamed Meng, said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged “all-out rescue and relief efforts” to find those still missing, CCTV said.

China’s finance and emergency management ministries have allocated 260 million yuan (S$48.1 million) to support local governments in disaster relief efforts.

In the south-western province of Sichuan, more than 30 people were reported missing on July 20 after a violent thunderstorm caused flash flooding in the town of Ya’an, according to CCTV.

On July 19, state media reported at least five people dead and eight missing after rain sparked flooding and mudslides in Shaanxi’s Baoji city.

State television broadcast images of neighbourhoods completely flooded by muddy water, with excavators and residents attempting to clear the damage.

Extreme weather

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

In Henan’s Nanyang city, the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain fell at the start of the week, according to CCTV.

And in Sichuan province, two people were reported killed and seven others missing on July 19 after heavy rain triggered landslides, Xinhua said.

China is enduring a summer of extreme weather with heavy rain across the east and south while much of the north has sweltered in successive heatwaves.

Climate change, which scientists say is exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions, is making these types of extreme weather phenomena more frequent and more intense.

In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, leaving 48 dead.

Earlier in July, a tornado passed through a town in eastern China, killing one, injuring 79 and causing significant damage.
AFP