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A recently opened bridge in China’s southwestern Sichuan province collapsed on Tuesday, local authorities confirmed, though no casualties were reported.
The incident occurred along a national highway linking the country’s heartland with Tibet.
Police in the city of Maerkang had closed the 758-metre-long Hongqi bridge to all traffic on Monday afternoon.
This decision followed the appearance of cracks on nearby slopes and roads, and shifts in the mountain terrain, prompting safety concerns.
Conditions on the mountainside worsened significantly by Tuesday afternoon, triggering landslides.
These events ultimately led to the collapse of the approach bridge and its roadbed.
Construction of the bridge had only finished earlier this year, according to a video posted by contractor Sichuan Road & Bridge Group.
