Beijing: In a tragic incident, at least 11 people were killed and over 30 people are missing after a highway bridge collapsed due to flash floods in China's northwest Shaanxi province, according to authorities. The bridge in Zhashui County collapsed due to sudden rains and floods, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The incident occurred at 8:40 pm (local time) in Shangluo city on Friday when a highway bridge collapsed due to a flash flood, causing some vehicles to fall into the river. As of Saturday, five vehicles were confirmed to have fallen into the water and 30 people were reported missing. Rescue operations are currently underway.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged all-out rescue efforts after the bridge collapse, saying China is in a critical period for flood control and local governments must take responsibility to enhance monitoring and early warning. China's national fire and rescue authority said on Saturday it had dispatched a rescue team to the site that included 859 people, 90 vehicles, 20 boats and 41 drones.
Since Tuesday, large portions of northern and central China have been dealing with heavy rains, which have caused flooding and significant damage. At least five people were killed and eight were missing after the rains sparked flooding and mudslides in Shaanxi's Baoji city. In China's central Henan province, floods caused by continuous rain trapped elderly people in a nursing home and villagers in their flooded houses on Thursday (July 18). CCTV showed footage of firefighters evacuating people on lifeboats.
China is witnessing a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains across the east and south coming as much of the north has sweltered in successive heat waves. Nearly a quarter of a million people were evacuated in eastern China earlier this month as rainstorms lashed parts of the country and caused the Yangtze and other rivers to swell.
In an unrelated incident, a massive fire broke out on Wednesday in the southwestern Chinese city of Zigong, killing 16 people. Firefighters and rescuers responded to a fire call shortly after 6 pm on Wednesday at the 14-story commercial building and pulled 75 people to safety. This incident happened days after at least 13 students were killed when a fire broke out in a school dormitory in central China's Henan province.
(with inputs from agencies)
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