758-meter structure in Sichuan Province showed cracks day before falling into river below
HONG KONG — A newly built bridge partially collapsed in southwest China on Tuesday, sending large pieces of concrete plunging far below in a cloud of dust.
Authorities said the 2,487-foot-long Hongqi Bridge, which connects Sichuan province with Tibet as part of a national highway, was closed on Monday after cracks began to appear on nearby slopes and roads in the mountainous region.
On Tuesday, a landslide caused the bridge to fracture and collapse, according to officials in the Sichuan city of Ma’erkang, also known in Tibetan as Barkam.
Video of the collapse is in article.There were no reported casualties from the incident. The cause is still being investigated by authorities in Sichuan, a seismically active region where a 7.9-magnitude earthquake killed more than 69,000 people in 2008.
