Massive Bridge Collapses Into Rubble Days After Opening To Traffic

A massive bridge at a hydropower station in southwest China collapsed Tuesday, sending tons of concrete and steel crashing into a river just months after opening, according to Chinese state media.

An official from Barkam County confirmed the collapse to the state-run Global Times, telling Reuters there were no casualties.

Cracks were reportedly found a day earlier on the bridge’s road surface and slope, prompting officials to restrict traffic before the disaster.

Video clips flooding Chinese social media showed the Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan Province bending and snapping before plunging into the river below, a towering plume of dust rising from the wreckage.

🚨 Dramatic Bridge Collapse in China 🇨🇳

The Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan collapsed after warning signs — landslides, rockfalls, and visible surface cracks.
Thankfully, early geotechnical and structural monitoring detected the issue a day before, leading to its closure and preventing… pic.twitter.com/oorhV40meK

— Frontlineflex (@Frontlineflex) November 12, 2025

The collapse happened around 3 p.m. local time near the G317 national highway, China Central Television (CCTV) said.

Transportation and public security officials said they had spotted signs of deformation on the right-bank slope Monday afternoon and moved to block access hours before the collapse. A public warning about potential safety risks was issued shortly after.

Located in Sichuan’s mountainous Maerkang region, the Hongqi Bridge was completed earlier this year as part of the G317 highway — a key link between central China and Tibet, according to Times Now.

The 758-meter-long, two-lane cantilever bridge towered roughly 625 meters above the gorge floor, with its piers rising up to 172 meters. It was built by the state-owned Sichuan Road & Bridge Group as part of Beijing’s drive to expand infrastructure across the rugged Tibetan Plateau.

The project was meant to symbolize China’s engineering might and economic ambition in its remote west. Instead, the structure stood for only a few months before collapsing into the valley it was built to conquer.

Officials have not determined the cause, though early reports point to possible geological instability. No vehicles or pedestrians were on the bridge when it fell, authorities said, and investigations are ongoing.

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