At least 11 dead after highway bridge in China crumbles amid flooding, heavy storms

Taipei, Taiwan — Chinese authorities say at least 11 people have died in the partial collapse of a highway bridge in the northwest following severe storms and flooding.

The official Xinhua News Agency said five vehicles that fell from the bridge were recovered after the structure in Shaanxi province collapsed around 8:40 p.m. on Friday. A photograph published by Xinhua showed a section of the bridge broken and folded at a nearly 90-degree angle toward the brown water rushing below.

Rescue operations were still underway on Saturday in Zhashui provincial county, and about 20 cars and 30 people were still missing, he added.

As its economy flourished in recent decades, Porcelain built a huge network of highways, high-speed railways and airports, most of which have helped fuel further growth.

However, a dramatic drop in that economic expansion, poor quality infrastructure, poor safety oversight and a desire to take shortcuts by industries looking to save money have led to a steady flow of fatal industrial accidents.

China’s western and southwestern provinces are particularly prone to flooding and landslides due to their mountainous landscapes and the powerful rivers that run through them. Mining, tourism and increasing urbanization have also disturbed a precarious balance with the natural environment that had been maintained for thousands of years.

Shaanxi is best known as one of the footholds of Chinese civilization, from which emerged the first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, who left the famous terracotta army as a legacy outside the capital, Xi’an, as part of a vast complex. of tombs that attracts a large number of visitors each year.