Under-Construction Railway Bridge Collapses In China, Killing 12 And Leaving 4 Missing

 

At least 12 workers were killed and four others remain missing after the collapse of an under-construction railway bridge over the Yellow River in northwest China’s Qinghai province, according to state media.

Aerial photos released by Xinhua News Agency show a large section of the bridge’s curved aquamarine arch missing, with part of the bridge deck bent downward into the river below.

The accident occurred around 3 a.m. Friday when a steel cable snapped during a tensioning operation. Sixteen workers were on the bridge at the time of the incident. Rescue efforts involving boats, a helicopter, and search robots are underway to locate the missing workers.

The bridge, designed to span 1.6 kilometers (1 mile), rises 55 meters (180 feet) above the river surface, according to the China Daily newspaper.