02:07
At least 12 killed after bridge collapses in northwest China due to heavy rains
At least 12 killed after bridge collapses in northwest China due to heavy rains
Flash floods hit Hanyuan county in Sichuan province on Saturday, killing at least 10 people and leaving 29 missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
China’s rainy season peaks from mid-July to mid-August and conditions have been severe this year, with frequent flood warnings and raised alert levels in many areas.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said on Sunday that lessons needed to be learned from the recent collapse.
“We must do everything in our power to prevent disasters that result in a large number of casualties,” he said.
The ministry instructed local authorities to closely monitor key infrastructure such as highways and railways, critical areas such as water-related construction projects, as well as high-risk locations such as bridges, urban underground spaces and tunnels.
Better monitoring equipment should also be used to detect and report risk factors earlier, the report said.
Risk inspections of infrastructure, especially bridges, were already being carried out in various provinces, including Shaanxi and Hubei, on Saturday.
“We need to prepare for the worst-case scenario to cope with extreme weather and overcome a decline in vigilance,” the Shaanxi provincial government said, urging officials not to take risks or become complacent.
01:17
Road collapses at construction site in China, creating huge sinkhole
Road collapses at construction site in China, creating huge sinkhole
The Sichuan provincial transport bureau called for a “full and thorough” inspection of disaster-prone areas and infrastructure after flash floods on Saturday cut off communication lines, roads and bridges.
In Hebei province, transportation authorities have also ordered the deployment of intelligent surveillance technologies such as ground-penetrating radar and drones to monitor infrastructure in real time.
Daning Expressway is a provincial highway connecting three cities and is part of the national highway network plan. The expressway construction project is led by the Shangluo municipal government and adopts a public-private partnership construction model.
The collapse occurred in the middle section of the expressway between Sanyo Prefecture and Takshui Prefecture, which was officially opened in December 2018.
