Shocking video shows Hongqi bridge collapse months after opening in South China - WATCH

A shocking video showing the collapse of the Hongqi Bridge in South China has gone viral, sparking outrage and concern over construction standards. The bridge, which opened only a few months ago, suddenly gave way, sending large sections crashing into the water below. A section of the recently opened Hongqi Bridge in China’s southwestern Sichuan province collapsed on Tuesday along a national highway connecting the country’s heartland to Tibet, local authorities confirmed, as reported by Reuters.

A video shared on X captures the dramatic moment a section of the bridge collapses into the river below. As the hillside begins to give way, thick clouds of dust and debris fill the air, followed by huge masses of soil and rock cascading down and swallowing the bridge’s foundation. Within moments, the concrete pillars buckle and fall, sending a large part of the structure plunging into the river.



No casualties have been reported. Police in Maerkang, as reported by Reuters, had closed the 758-meter-long bridge to traffic on Monday after noticing cracks on nearby slopes and roads, as well as visible shifts in the surrounding mountain terrain.

Despite precautionary closures, the approach bridge and roadbed gave way on Tuesday afternoon, triggering landslides in the area. Officials are investigating the cause of the collapse and monitoring the site for further instability.