A sudden and catastrophic collapse at a major bridge construction site in China’s eastern Jiangsu province has left two workers dead, three others missing and a critical regional infrastructure project in disarray.
At 5.46pm on Monday, a significant section of the under-construction Yuegang Bridge collapsed in Yancheng City’s Xiangshui County when the main span – measuring 95 metres (312 feet) – of the unfinished bridge suddenly gave way.
Two people pulled from the wreckage with severe injuries later died in hospital, while rescue teams are continuing to search for three colleagues who remain unaccounted for, according to a public notice released by the local county government on Tuesday.
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A multi-agency emergency operation involving fire, maritime and medical personnel is scouring the site on the Tongyu River, while authorities have imposed a temporary ban on waterway navigation in the immediate area to assist with the rescue and ensure public safety, state Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
The collapsed bridge was a linchpin in the ambitious Lianyungang-Shanghai Line, a provincial initiative designed to create a high-capacity north-south water transport corridor.
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Undertaken by the state-owned China Railway 12th Bureau Group, the project had been progressing on a tight schedule.
