Tragedy struck in north-west China as a devastating bridge collapse has claimed the lives of at least 12 construction workers, with four more still unaccounted for. The incident occurred while workers were constructing a railway bridge over a major river in Qinghai province, sending shockwaves through the community and beyond.
Aerial images captured by the official Xinhua News Agency reveal a dramatic scene: a significant portion of the bridge’s curved arch is missing, and a twisted section of the bridge deck dangles precariously over the rushing waters of the Yellow River.
At the time of the collapse, 16 workers were on the bridge when a steel cable snapped around 3 a.m. local time (8 p.m. BST on Friday), during a critical tensioning operation. The urgency of the rescue efforts is palpable, with boats, a helicopter, and advanced robots being deployed to search for the missing individuals in the challenging conditions.
The bridge itself is an imposing structure, stretching one mile in length and rising 180 feet above the river below. As rescue operations continue, the hope remains that more survivors can be found amid the wreckage.