At least 12 people have been killed and 30 are missing after a bridge collapsed due to heavy rains in northwestern China, state media reported Saturday.
Local broadcaster CCTV reported that a highway bridge had collapsed, leaving “around 20 vehicles and more than 30 people” missing.
of A bridge in Tuoshui county, Shangluo city, Shaanxi province, collapsed at 8:40 pm local time on Friday due to sudden heavy rain and flooding.State news agency Xinhua reported the news, citing authorities..
What we know about the rescue operation
Rescue operations are continuing and five vehicles have been retrieved from the water. so farAll 11 people confirmed dead were found dead in the vehicles that were recovered.
Local media footage showed the bridge partially submerged and filled with water.
President Xi Jinping called for an all-out rescue effort. The Chinese leader said the country was at a critical juncture in flood control and called on local governments to take responsibility for monitoring and early warning systems.
China’s national fire and rescue authority reported that it had dispatched a rescue team of 859 personnel, 90 vehicles, 20 boats and 41 drones to the scene.
Heavy rains hit various Chinese provinces
Heavy rains lashed northern and central China earlier this week, causing flooding and widespread damage.
Floods and landslides have killed at least five people and left eight missing in Baoji city, Shaanxi province, state media reported.
The neighbouring provinces of Gansu and Henan in central China were also affected by persistent rains.
The city of Nanyang in Henan province recorded its annual rainfall earlier this week, CCTV reported.
China faces extreme weather
China has experienced an extreme summer this year, with widespread flooding in the central and southern parts of the country and severe heat waves in the north.
Earlier this month, a tornado struck eastern China, killing one person, injuring 79 and causing extensive damage.
In May, mountain floods and landslides occurred in Hunan province, while severe flooding in southern Guangdong province killed 38 people.
Also in the same month, 48 people were killed when a highway collapsed in southern China after days of continuous rain.
Scientists say climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is the main factor behind the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
ss/fb (AFP, dpa, Lusa)
