On the evening of February 2, the under-construction Xiangshuiyue Port Bridge in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province collapsed, attracting attention. Nearby residents reported hearing a loud noise from hundreds of meters away at the time of the incident.
A circulated video showed that at noon that day, a netizen filmed construction workers having a meal by the bridge. The video captured at least a dozen workers dining by the bridge. However, at 5:46 pm, the bridge suddenly collapsed, causing multiple workers to fall into the river. The official announcement did not specify the exact number of workers who fell into the water but mentioned that there have been 2 confirmed fatalities and 3 workers are missing.
On February 3, a villager from the vicinity of the incident told Jixiang News that the collapsed bridge was approximately 400 meters from their home. At the time of the collapse, they were at home and heard a loud noise, later learning that it was the Xiangshuiyue Port Bridge under construction that had collapsed. Another local villager mentioned that most of the construction workers on the bridge were from out of town, and he did not recognize them.
After the incident gained attention online, more details surfaced. According to an uploaded construction project sign of the Xiangshuiyue Port Bridge, the project is part of the channel dredging project from Huangxiang River to the Huai River estuary, with the bridge construction project LSXHXH-QLSG section. The project includes five bridge constructions – Xiangshuiyue Port Bridge, Changfa Bridge, Kanchang Bridge, Datong Bridge, and Zhouji Bridge – with a total contract amount of 202.3 million yuan. The construction contractor is China Railway 12th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., and the construction unit is Jiangsu Port and Shipping Investment Development Co., Ltd.
According to TIAN YANCHA, China Railway 12th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. was established in May 1986, fully owned by China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, with a registered capital of approximately 5.06 billion yuan. The company has records of multiple administrative penalties, for offenses including illegal dumping of construction waste and safety hazards. Additionally, there are 63 records of enforcement actions against the company, with a total enforcement amount exceeding 170 million yuan.
Regarding the cause of the accident, a staff member of the Jiangsu Port and Shipping Development Co., Ltd. stated that they are cooperating with the government’s investigation. Officials from Xiangshui County Government mentioned that they will continue to issue updates and advised relying on official notifications for specific details.
An article on the Xiangshui County Government’s official website from March 2025 indicated that due to Xiangshuiyue Port Bridge and Zhouji Bridge not meeting the standard for Class II navigable waterways, traffic restrictions were enforced from March 22, 2025, to June 16, 2027. During this period, both bridges were scheduled for demolition and reconstruction.