A tragic incident occurred in northern China as a bridge collapsed due to heavy rains, resulting in the loss of 11 lives and leaving over 30 individuals missing, as reported by state media on Saturday.
Recent days have seen severe rainfall and flooding in various parts of northern and central China, causing significant damage.
According to the state news agency Xinhua, the bridge in Shaanxi province collapsed around 8:40 pm on Friday due to a sudden downpour and flash floods.
All 11 victims were found inside vehicles recovered from the river below the collapsed bridge in the city of Shangluo, as stated by state broadcaster CCTV.
More than 30 people are still missing following the collapse of the highway bridge into the water, as reported by the broadcaster.
State television shared images of a section of the bridge submerged in the rushing river.
One witness, named Meng, recounted how other drivers warned him about the looming danger before a truck ahead of him fell into the water.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for comprehensive rescue efforts to locate the missing individuals, as per Xinhua.
In Ya’an town, Sichuan province, over 30 individuals are reported missing after a violent thunderstorm caused flash flooding on Saturday, according to CCTV.
Earlier, in Baoji city, Shaanxi, at least five individuals lost their lives and eight went missing due to flooding and mudslides triggered by the heavy rains reported on Friday.
– Extreme weather –
Heavy rains also affected Gansu and Henan provinces, with Nanyang city in Henan receiving a year’s worth of rain in just one week, as per CCTV.
In Sichuan, two individuals were killed and seven went missing following landslides caused by heavy rain, as reported by Xinhua.
China is experiencing a summer filled with extreme weather events, with heavy rains in the east and south regions alongside heatwaves in the north.
Scientists attribute these extreme weather occurrences to climate change, worsened by greenhouse gas emissions.
Recently, a highway collapse in southern China led to 48 casualties after days of rain, while a tornado caused one fatality, injured 79, and inflicted severe damage in eastern China this month.
sbr-mca/sco
