China's 172-meter-high Hongqi Bridge collapses, like a horror movie scene: Expected to open in early 2025.

Officials in Ma'erkhang County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, confirmed to Global on the evening of November 11 that the Hongqi Bridge at the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station unexpectedly collapsed that afternoon. There is no immediate information on casualties, but the incident has drawn significant attention from authorities and the public closely monitoring the situation. Images and videos from the scene show thick dust clouds, the nearby mountainside beginning to collapse, creating dense dust columns and debris flying everywhere. Within seconds, the ground beneath the bridge cracked and subsided, causing bridge piers to tilt, the bridge deck to break, and the main span to completely fall into the river below. China Central Television reported that around 3:00 PM on November 10, the mountainside on the right bank of the Hongqi Bridge on National Highway G317 near marker K381+030M showed signs of deformation. Authorities discovered cracks on the road surface and slope, immediately controlled traffic, and issued a temporary road closure to prevent accidents. By 4:00 PM on November 11, the entire roadbed and approach spans were washed into the river, but thanks to the timely closure, no one was injured. Vehicles were rerouted to a detour designated by authorities, and engineering rescue teams were dispatched. Investigators quickly arrived to assess the damage and ensure the safety of the hydropower station and nearby structures. According to Reuters, the Hongqi Bridge, part of the 758-meter-long National Highway G317 connecting inland China with Tibet, was newly built by Sichuan Road and Bridge Group and was scheduled to open in early 2025. The bridge's collapse was a major surprise, with the initial cause assessed to be related to geological instability and a chain of landslides on the steep slope. The Aba Prefecture in Sichuan Province is located in a complex high-altitude region known for unstable geology. The mountainsides here consist of alternating layers of soil and rock, including soft sediment, shale, and large, easily fractured rock masses. Over time, the weight of rain...