Recovery of missing workers brings China bridge collapse fatalities to 5
Two people pulled from the wreckage died soon after from their injuries, with a search for three co-workers ending tragically on Tuesday
The sudden and catastrophic collapse at a major bridge construction site in China’s eastern Jiangsu province has left five workers dead, after the bodies of three missing people were recovered on Tuesday morning.
At 5.46pm on Monday, a significant section of the under-construction Yuegang Bridge collapsed in Yancheng City’s Xiangshui County when the main span – measuring 95 metres (312 feet) – of the unfinished bridge suddenly gave way.
Two people pulled from the wreckage with severe injuries later died in hospital, while rescue teams searched for three colleagues who remained unaccounted for, according to a public notice released by the local county government on Tuesday.
A multi-agency emergency operation involving fire, maritime and medical personnel scoured the site on the Tongyu River, while authorities imposed a temporary ban on waterway navigation in the immediate area to assist with the rescue and ensure public safety, state Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
At around 11am on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the three missing people were found. None had survived.
Fatal bridge collapse in eastern China
The collapsed bridge was a linchpin in the ambitious Lianyungang-Shanghai Line, a provincial initiative designed to create a high-capacity north-south water transport corridor.