BEIJING, China –
The death toll has risen to 38 from the partial collapse of a highway bridge that plunged two dozen vehicles into a rushing river two weeks ago, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported Friday evening, while a separate tunnel collapse and landslides in southwestern Sichuan province in the early morning Saturday have killed at least two.
The report said 24 people were still missing from the July 19 disaster in the province of Shaanxi in China’s northwest. One person was saved.
The area where the bridge on the Danning highway fell had experienced heavy rains in the preceding days.
At least 25 cars fell into the river, according to CCTV, and teams have searched kilometers (miles) downstream looking for victims. A photo released by the Xinhua news agency shortly after the incident showed a section of the bridge snapped and folded at almost a 90-degree angle into the rushing brown water below.
The river passes through a mountain valley and the waters are turbulent, the report said.
In Sichuan province’s Kangding city, heavy rains caused flash flooding and landslides on Saturday, sweeping away houses and killing two people. Twelve more are missing.
A nearby highway bridge connecting two tunnels also collapsed. Rescuers have so far counted three vehicles missing, and one person has been rescued, while five are missing.
The collapse has raised questions about the safety of China’s road and bridge infrastructure, which was built rapidly in recent decades. A similar highway collapse in May in Guangdong province killed 36 people.
Rains intensified by climate change have caused a series of landslides and flooding across Asia. In China this week, 48 deaths were attributed to Typhoon Gaemi, which had weakened into a tropical storm when it reached the inland, southern province of Hunan.