• Source:JND
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A newly constructed 2,500-foot bridge in China partially collapsed this week after a violent landslide struck the mountainside where it was built. The Hongqi Bridge, located in Sichuan province, was completed earlier this year as part of a major highway project linking central China with Tibet. Dramatic footage shared on social media shows a huge section of the bridge breaking away and plunging into the river below, raising fresh concerns about infrastructure safety in mountainous regions. 

In the viral video, an enormous cloud of dust erupts as the hillside begins to shear away. Within seconds, slabs of soil and rock slam into the bridge’s foundation. The concrete pillars strain and tilt, before a large portion of the structure collapses into the river in a thunderous crash. Debris continues to slide down the slope, engulfing the bridge base and surrounding area.

According to the Sichuan provincial government, the collapse was caused by mountain slope instability triggered by geological movement, not an underlying structural flaw in the bridge itself. Authorities had already detected cracks on nearby slopes and closed the bridge to traffic one day earlier.

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Geological Instability Blamed

Officials reported that terrain shifts on an adjacent mountain accelerated rapidly, culminating in a powerful landslide on Tuesday afternoon. The steep region has a documented history of landslide activity, particularly after heavy rainfall or seismic tremors. Preliminary reports indicate the landslide’s force undermined a key support section of the 758-meter-long bridge and its approach road.

Local rescue and engineering teams were dispatched immediately to secure the area and assess damage. Police had cordoned off the bridge since Monday, allowing no vehicles or pedestrians onto the structure.

Not The First Incident In 2025

The collapse comes months after another deadly infrastructure failure in China. Earlier this year, an under-construction railway bridge in Qinghai province collapsed after a steel cable snapped, killing at least 12 workers. Video from that incident showed a large curved arch section missing and bridge decking hanging into the Yellow River. 

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