Highway Bridge Collapse in Shaanxi’s Shangluo City Leaves 11 Dead, Dozens Missing

Beijing July 20 20224 : At least 11 individuals lost their lives following a partial collapse of a highway bridge in northwest China’s Shaanxi province early Saturday morning, as reported by Xinhua citing local authorities. The incident occurred in Zhashui County, Shangluo City, around 8:40 pm on Friday, triggered by heavy rainfall and flash floods, stated the provincial publicity department.

Rescue efforts, ongoing since the collapse, have recovered five vehicles submerged in the river by 10 am today, according to Xinhua. As of now, more than 30 people remain unaccounted for due to the disaster.

The recent calamity adds to a series of weather-related incidents across northern and central China this week, where persistent heavy rains have caused widespread flooding and significant damage. Earlier reports from state media indicated that Shaanxi’s Baoji city had already suffered five fatalities and eight missing persons due to flooding and mudslides.

China continues to grapple with extreme weather conditions this summer, with sweltering heatwaves in the north contrasting with torrential rains affecting the east and south. In recent weeks, substantial evacuations were reported in eastern China due to rainstorms causing rivers like the Yangtze to swell, affecting nearly a million residents in Anhui province alone, according to Xinhua.