In Sichuan province, southwestern China, a section of the newly opened Hongqi Bridge collapsed. This information was reported by the "Reuters" portal.
Redaksiya reports that local authorities stated no one was injured in the incident, as safety measures had been taken.
Approximately one day before the bridge collapse, the authorities of Markang city had completely halted traffic on the 758-meter-long bridge. The reason for this was the discovery of cracks on nearby slopes and the road surface, as well as observations of displacement in the layers of the mountain massif. A state of emergency was declared in the region. According to the official statement from the Markang administration, the situation reached a critical point on November 11 – landslides resulted in mudflows, which caused the destruction of the entrance overpass and a section of the road.
The Hongqi Bridge was of strategic importance, connecting the central regions of the country with the Tibet Autonomous Region. The bridge was constructed by "Sichuan Road & Bridge Group". Construction work had been completed earlier this year.