At least 12 people dead as railway bridge collapses after cable snaps

Several workers are dead and many missing after a railway bridge in China collapsed with a huge search operation underway complete with 27 boats, a helicopter and five robots

Several people are dead and others missing after a railway bridge under construction collapsed.

According to state media, at least 12 people are dead, and four are missing because of the incident, which happened in China. A total of 16 workers were on the bridge in Qinghai province when a steel cable snapped in the early hours of Friday morning, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The accident happened during a “tensioning operation.” The bridge was being built on the Qinghai section of the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway.

Shocking images show a large portion missing from the bridge, with a bent section of decking hanging downwards. This normally sits 55m above the surface of the Yellow River.

Around 27 boats, a helicopter and five robots were being used to search for the missing workers, along with an 800-strong crew and 91 vehicles, according to the English-language newspaper China Daily.

It comes as shocking images show mountains in China being chopped in half to make way for both a new highway and the world’s tallest bridge. Engineers are working their magic as they build the 2,050ft Huajiang Canyon Bridge in south-west China. Given that most of Guizhou province is covered in mountains, the planners had no choice but to slice off mountain peaks.

The bridge forms part of the 190-mile Guizhou Luan Expressway and is set to open at the end of 2025. Upon completion, it will become the world’s highest bridge at 2,051 feet above the canyon floor.

Chen Jianlei, deputy director of Guizhou Transport Department told China Daily at the time: “The completion of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge will strengthen economic ties between [neighbouring cities] Guiyang, Anshun and Qianxinan, fostering regional economic integration.”

The chief engineer, Li Zhao, said that the £227million project, which began in January 2022, gave him “a profound sense of achievement and pride.”