- Bridge collapse in Shaanxi province kills 11 and leaves over 30 missing.
- Extreme weather and flash floods are wreaking havoc across northern and central China.
- President Xi Jinping calls for urgent rescue and relief efforts.
A sudden downpour and flash floods caused a bridge in Shaanxi province, northwestern China, to collapse, resulting in 11 confirmed deaths and leaving more than 30 people missing.
The bridge collapse is part of a series of extreme weather events battering China, with heavy rains and flooding affecting various regions. In Sichuan province, a violent thunderstorm caused flash flooding, leaving over 30 people missing, while other provinces like Gansu and Henan have also been hit hard.
Extreme Weather Causes Bridge Collapse and Flooding in China
In Shaanxi province, a bridge collapse caused by torrential rains and flash floods has resulted in 11 deaths and over 30 people missing. The incident, occurring in the city of Shangluo, saw all victims discovered inside five vehicles that were recovered from the river below. Eyewitnesses recounted desperate attempts to stop cars from crossing the bridge as it began to buckle.
President Xi Jinping has urged comprehensive rescue and relief efforts to locate the missing individuals. This disaster is part of a broader pattern of extreme weather affecting China, including severe flooding in Sichuan province where a violent thunderstorm caused flash flooding and left more than 30 people unaccounted for.
Elsewhere, the semi-desert province of Gansu and the central region of Henan have also experienced heavy rains and significant damage. In Henan’s Nanyang city, rainfall equivalent to a year’s worth of precipitation fell in just one week, exacerbating the crisis. The situation in Sichuan province is similarly dire, with landslides triggered by heavy rain resulting in deaths and missing persons.
China’s summer has been marked by a series of extreme weather events, including successive heatwaves in the north and relentless rains in the east and south. Scientists link these extreme weather patterns to climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of such events. The recent bridge collapse, along with other incidents like highway collapses and tornadoes, underscores the urgent need for climate resilience measures.
The tragic bridge collapse in Shaanxi province is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of extreme weather events, highlighting the urgent need for robust infrastructure and climate resilience measures to protect communities in the face of increasing climate change-induced disasters.
“Climate change, which scientists say is exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions, is making these types of extreme weather phenomena more frequent and more intense.”
