Heavy rains have caused floods and bridge collapses across China, killing at least 25 people and leaving rescuers searching for those missing.
BEIJING — Rescue teams searched Monday for dozens of missing people after heavy rains caused floods and bridge collapses across China, killing at least 25 people.
Ten people were killed and a further 29 are missing after a village in southwestern Sichuan province was hit by sudden flooding late on Saturday, according to rescuers. Days of heavy rains had caused the water level of a river in Xinhua village, Hanyuan county, to rise. Local media said 40 riverside homes had been swept away, bridges destroyed and roads cut off.
Part of a highway bridge collapsed late Friday in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, sending vehicles plummeting into fast-flowing waters. State-run CCTV reported that at least 15 people had been confirmed dead as of Monday. Photos published by China’s official Xinhua News Agency showed part of the bridge breaking off at a nearly 90-degree angle, dropping into the fast-flowing brown water below.
Rescue teams said Saturday that about 20 vehicles and 30 people were missing.
The collapse raises further questions about the safety of China’s road and bridge infrastructure, which has been rapidly built in recent decades. A similar collapse in Guangdong province in May killed 36 people.
Heavy rainfall and flooding pose special dangers to mountain road and highway bridges because they can cause erosion, debris flows, and landslides.
Climate change is likely to result in the world facing more extreme weather and climate events, including record heat and rainfall. This year, heat records were broken in 70 countries and territories in the first five days of May alone.
