Torrential rain crashed down on northern China, causing a bridge to collapse, claiming the lives of 11 people and leaving more than 30 missing. The bridge, situated in Shaanxi province, gave way to the force of the storm around 8:40 pm on Friday, as a sudden downpour and flash floods overwhelmed the structure. The provincial public relations department cited the cause of the disaster in a statement to the Xinhua agency.
The state broadcaster CCTV reported that nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 people remained unaccounted for, with the 11 confirmed victims found inside five vehicles that had been recovered from the water. The rescue efforts were thrown into chaos as images on state TV showed a partially submerged section of the bridge with the river rushing over it.
One witness, who approached the bridge on Friday evening, recalled the horror of the moment. “Other drivers started yelling at me to brake and stop the car,” he said. “A truck in front of me didn’t stop and fell into the water.” The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has called for “all-out efforts” to find those still missing, CCTV reported.
The torrential rain and flooding have been wreaking havoc across northern and central China since Tuesday. At least five people have died and eight are missing after rain led to flooding and mudslides in Shaanxi’s Baoji city, state media reported. Neighbourhoods were inundated with muddy water, as residents and excavators struggled to clear the damage.
Northern China RainThe semi-desert province of Gansu, which borders Shaanxi, and Henan in central China were also hit by heavy rain this week. In Henan’s Nanyang city, the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain fell in just a few days, according to CCTV. Meanwhile, in south-western Sichuan province, two people were reported killed and seven missing on Friday after heavy rain triggered landslides, Xinhua reported.
China is experiencing a summer of extreme weather, with the east and south experiencing heavy rain while much of the north has sweltered in successive heatwaves. The climate crisis is making these types of extreme weather events more frequent and more intense. In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, leaving 48 dead. Earlier this month, a tornado tore through a town in eastern China, killing one, injuring 79, and causing significant damage.