Astonishing moment 758-metre-long bridge collapses in China months after opening

This is the terrifying moment a bridge in southwestern China crumbled to pieces in a landslide.

Part of the recently opened Hongqi bridge, in Sichuan, collapsed along a highway linking China’s heartland with Tibet on Tuesday (November 11).

The 758-metre-long structure was closed by police on Monday afternoon after cracks appeared on nearby slopes and roads.

The local government said shifts were seen in the terrain of a mountain, adding that on Tuesday conditions worsened as landslides were triggered. No casualties have been reported.

The astonishing footage, which has racked up more than half a million views so far on X (formerly Twitter), showed the moment the approach to the bridge crumbled as debris was scattered across the mountainside and river below.

Clouds of dust could be seen filling the air before the bridge columns gave way and the entire structure was razed to the ground.

Debris crashed to the ground with an almighty thunder as onlookers filmed the bridge’s collapse.

Hongqi, which opened to the public on September 28, measured 625m from the bridge deck to the bottom of the gorge.

One X user said: ‘The cause of the crash is suspected to be cracks in the adjacent mountainside, induced by water accumulation and pressure from the nearby Shuangjiangkou reservoir, which triggered the landslide.

‘The rising water levels in the reservoir—likely exacerbated by recent heavy rainfall in the region—weakened the unstable rock formations, leading to a sudden rockfall and debris slide that struck the bridge’s right span and piers.’

Another said: ‘The Hongqi Bridge in Shuangjiangkou, Sichuan Province, China, partially collapsed today.

‘Preliminary reports suggest cracks in the mountainside caused by water storage at a nearby reservoir contributed to the collapse.’

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