In the Shaanxi city of Shangluo, a tragic accident of a bridge collapse and vehicles plunging into the river has resulted in dozens of deaths and missing individuals. The authorities, in the face of such a tragic event, have blamed the heavy rain for the incident. It is worth noting that the collapsed highway had been in operation for less than 6 years. Many netizens believe that the officials’ excuse is an attempt to evade responsibility.
On the evening of July 19th around 20:40, a highway bridge in Zhashui County, Shangluo, Shaanxi Province collapsed during a flash flood, with passing vehicles unable to see in the darkness of the night. One after another, vehicles plunged rapidly into the raging river from the gap in the bridge. As of the evening of the 20th, authorities confirmed 25 vehicles falling into the river, discovered 12 bodies of victims, with 18 vehicles and 31 individuals still missing.
Many netizens expressed that this means 43 families are currently enduring immense pain and suffering. Each minute and each second is an endless torment.
According to news reports on July 21st, vehicles fell into the swift river, and local villagers climbed the slope of the highway, waving clothing and shouting on the fractured bridge deck, trying to warn oncoming vehicles of the danger ahead. Due to poor visibility at night compounded by heavy rain, the warning from the villagers was not seen in time by passing vehicles, resulting in a continuous stream of vehicles falling off the bridge. Preliminary assessments at the scene indicate that 17 sedans and 8 trucks plunged into the river.
The bridge collapse incident occurred within Zhashui County, Shangluo City, at the Number 2 Bridge of Yanping Village on the Daning Expressway (from Danfeng County to Ningshan County). The collapse of the bridge section in the direction of Shanyang was approximately 40 meters long.
The total length of the Number 2 Bridge is 366 meters, spanning the local Jinqian River. Photos from the scene show one side of the collapsed bridge deck inserted into the swift river, with a bridge pier that supported the collapsed deck missing, leaving a distance of more than ten meters between the water level and the bridge deck. The bridge deck appears relatively new, with a flat fracture surface and exposed steel bars.
Public records show that the Daning Expressway is a vital transportation artery in southern Shaanxi, with the Shuiyang section spanning 79 kilometers, managed by the Shaanxi Provincial Transportation Infrastructure Development Corporation. It was opened to traffic in December 2018. The collapsed road had been in use for less than 6 years.
Regarding the cause of the bridge collapse, Zhao Jing, the Secretary of the Shangluo City Committee, stated on the 20th that the collapse was due to heavy rain causing flash floods and a rapid rise in the water level of the Jinqian River.
This statement has sparked widespread skepticism among netizens, who believe that officials are shifting blame to the heavy rain. This irresponsible excuse is unconvincing, as it is hard to believe that a bridge could so easily collapse due to a single heavy rainstorm. People inevitably question whether there were quality issues with the bridge. If the bridge had been constructed to be more robust and able to withstand nature’s tests, perhaps this tragedy could have been prevented.
The reasons behind the collapse of the Zhashui Expressway bridge have generated considerable attention and questioning across society.
Netizens question why, if it was truly due to heavy rain and flooding, other nearby bridges remain unscathed. Why is it only this particular bridge that appears so “fragile,” with the entire deck collapsing? Clearly, the official explanation of “heavy rain” is untenable.
Some believe that there may have been serious corners cut in terms of materials and construction quality – a dark hand seeking profit by violating engineering quality requirements, leading to the roots of disaster being exposed under a severe rain test.
There are also analyses suggesting that structural quality issues with the bridge deck are likely related to oversights in design and supervision. Factors such as insufficient consideration of load-bearing capacity and errors in stress analysis could result in the collapse following heavy rainfall.
“Whether it was due to direct use of substandard materials by the construction company or errors in supervision and design, the authorities should bear the irrefutable responsibility for this accident.” Furthermore, “as the contracting and regulatory bodies of the engineering construction, their serious negligence in management and supervision has led to such a tragedy.”
Many netizens have posted sarcastic and mocking comments:
“No need to ask, it’s definitely not a quality issue. It’s caused by the once-in-a-century flood.”
“There were no problems with the quality and design. It was caused by extreme weather conditions.”
Netizens urge strict inspection of the construction quality of the roads and bridges where the accident occurred.
Shaanxi has recently been hit by heavy rainfall, leading to nearly 170,000 people being affected.