Four people die after highway bridge collapses in Fuxin, Liaoning
Deadly incident in Liaoning just the latest this rainy season; a lack of maintenance is blamed
Four people were killed when a highway bridge collapsed yesterday in Fuxin, Liaoning, and an expert said the high frequency of bridge mishaps this summer was abnormal.
The 44-year-old bridge - part of a national expressway linking Beijing and Shenyang - fell at about 2am, Xinhua reported.
Even with the best design, best technology, best science and best construction quality, a bridge's safety cannot be ensured without frequent checks and maintenance
Officials confirmed the death toll by noon and blamed the collapse on rain, but it was unclear how the people died or how big the bridge was. The water level in the Raoyang River, which flowed under the bridge, reached a record high on Monday after up to 100mm of rain fell in just three hours, according to the local government.
The floodwaters destroyed a support pillar and the bridge. The high level of water also resulted in three nearby bridges being closed off because of eroded foundations.
The collapse was the latest in a series of bridge accidents across the country during this rainy season, with many provinces reporting such accidents. In Sichuan , at least a dozen bridges collapsed last week amid a heavy deluge, Xinhua reported.
The most serious accident, in Jiangyou on July 9, killed at least a dozen people and as many vehicles fell into rapidly flowing water.
Professor Dan Danhui , who specialises in bridge design and safety at Tongji University, said from Shanghai yesterday that the high number of accidents was unusual, even after taking heavy rain into account.