Concern after deadly bridge collapses on mainland

At least 18 bridges have collapsed on the mainland since 2007, killing 135 people, according to the records of the State Administration of Work Safety. Most had been in use for less than 15 years.

The latest victims were three people killed on Friday when a 100-metre section of approach ramp snapped a bridge in Harbin , Heilongjiang .

The true number of collapses could be higher because some cases are classified by the work safety agency under other categories such as natural disasters.

Poor-quality construction is seldom singled out for blame by local authorities, though the collapse of a just-completed bridge in Fenghuang , Hunan , in 2007, in which 64 people were killed, is an exception. Instead flooding, overloaded vehicles or cargo ships hitting bridge supports are more often blamed.

Huang Yusheng , secretary general of the Harbin city government, said yesterday that the approach ramp that collapsed on Friday was not regarded as part of the main Yangmingtan Bridge. Even if it was found to be of poor quality, it would have "nothing to do" with the landmark project.

Safety experts, however, have less confidence in bridge quality than the government.