New bridge collapse in China kills three
25 Aug 2012
A section of a newly built 15.4-km long bridge in Heilongjiang province in northeast China collapsed Friday morning killing three people and injuring five.
A 100-metre ramp section of the Yangmingtan bridge in Harbin city tilted to one side and crashed causing four large trucks plunge 30 metres to the ground below, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Two people were killed on the spot and one later, and five injured are in hospital.
The bridge spanning the Songhua river, and part of the eight-lane motorway, was built a cost of around $300 million. It is claimed to be the longest bridge in north China and was opened to traffic just ten months ago.
Shoddy construction and over-loading of trucks have been reported to be the possible causes of the mishap. The case is under investigation by government authorities who will look into the design and construction of the bridge and also the truck loads.
This is the sixth major bridge collapse in China since July 2011, following one in Beijing and another in the eastern city of Hangzhou, Xinhua said.