A section of the Hongqi Bridge in southwest China has collapsed just months after opening, prompting investigations into the cause of the structural failure.
According to China Daily, the incident took place along National Highway 317 in Maerkang, Sichuan Province. Local authorities detected slope deformation on the right bank of the bridge at around 5:25 p.m. on November 10, 2025 and immediately dispatched emergency teams.
All stranded vehicles were evacuated by 11 p.m., and warning signs were set up across the area. However, despite the precautions, a landslide hit the site on November 11, damaging sections of the bridge.
Bridge in China partially collapses months after opening
No casualties have been recorded, though traffic has been rerouted and the section remains closed while officials continue to monitor the surrounding terrain. Those close by managed to record the collapse, with a video shared by Chinese media showing plumes of dust rising as part of the bridge gave way.
The Hongqi Bridge, which Reuters reports spans around 758 metres and was completed earlier this year by the Sichuan Road & Bridge Group, forms part of a key highway linking central China to Tibet. It had only been open for a few months before the collapse.
Authorities are now investigating the cause of the incident, with experts warning that the region’s mountainous terrain and frequent landslides make large infrastructure projects particularly vulnerable to slope instability. For now, the government has not provided a timetable for reopening the highway, and emergency crews continue to inspect nearby sections for further risk.
'Explosions and fire recorded' — Russia's Orsk oil refinery hit in Ukrainian strike, General Staff says