Recently, in Shaanxi Province’s Zhashui County, a sudden torrential rainstorm caused a highway bridge to collapse. According to authorities, 25 vehicles fell into the river, involving 43 people. As of 12:00 on the 20th local time, search and rescue teams found 7 submerged vehicles and confirmed 12 fatalities. Eyewitnesses described how some individuals voluntarily tried to stop vehicles on the roadside, with some unfortunate vehicles failing to stop and falling down.
On the morning of July 20th, the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda Department reported that at around 20:40 on the 19th, a sudden torrential rainstorm in Zhashui County, causing a partial collapse of the Yanping Village No. 2 Bridge on the Shuiyang section of the Danning Expressway in the direction of Shanyang, with the collapsed length exceeding 40 meters.
Several departments in Shaanxi’s Shangluo City held a press conference on the 19th, stating that a preliminary assessment showed 17 sedans and 8 trucks involved in the accident, with 43 individuals on board.
According to state-run media Xinhua, as of 12:00 on the 20th, search and rescue teams had found 7 submerged vehicles, 12 fatalities, and 1 survivor. Additionally, 18 vehicles and 31 individuals were reported missing.
Due to the Chinese Communist Party’s tendency to downplay disasters, the actual situation may be more severe than reported.
A local resident told the Xiaoxiang Morning News on the morning of the 20th that their family had driven through that segment of the road the previous night, but they couldn’t reach them by phone at around 9 p.m. and are still unreachable.
One witness to the accident reported, “The bridge collapsed, with both large and small vehicles falling off.” Around 9:12 p.m. on the 19th, when he approached the area, he noticed abnormal road conditions ahead, initially thinking it was a traffic accident.
He said, “There were two cars parked on the emergency lane, and several pedestrians were shouting at me to stop. Those people were quite agitated, saying that some vehicles did not stop and went down directly. Local villagers even came up barefoot to help.”
Regarding the number of vehicles that fell, the witness expressed uncertainty, mentioning, “It was too dark, and the vehicles were speeding, averaging over 100 yards.”
A nearby resident, Mr. Wang, stated that a man in a vehicle that went over the bridge was trapped in the river. Upon hearing his cries for help, villagers rushed to the riverbank and used a rope to rescue the man, who claimed to be from Hubei and had lost contact with six other passengers in the submerged vehicle.
Another eyewitness, Mr. Meng, told the Beijing News that he was about to reach the collapsed bridge when he was halted by people who had already stopped. They informed him that a truck had fallen off the bridge because it was not stopped in time. Subsequently, he joined efforts to flag down vehicles behind him, with everyone shouting loudly to stop cars until the roadway was filled with halted vehicles.
Another witness recounted, “I sensed something was not right ahead, with two cars parked on the emergency lane, and people continuously shouting. I hit the brakes and stopped. They told me the bridge ahead had collapsed.”
He added, “Before me, they had also attempted to stop a large truck, but it didn’t stop and fell off the bridge.”
On the morning of the 20th, Red Star News reached eyewitness Mr. Wang, who described driving with his family towards Shanyang around 9:30 p.m. on the 19th. Approximately a kilometer away from the accident site, they saw people waving flashlights. Initially, he thought they were hitchhikers but couldn’t accommodate more passengers due to occupancy.
“We drove a little further and saw cars parked on the side of the road, with people waving flashlights and making hand gestures back and forth. I pulled over, and after getting out, they said they didn’t dare go ahead as the bridge had collapsed, and several vehicles had fallen.”
Mr. Wang explained that the highway where the incident occurred had three lanes. After stopping on the emergency lane, they quickly occupied all three lanes. Seeing the blockade, incoming vehicles halted and didn’t proceed.
After parking, Mr. Wang glanced at the collapsed area and noticed a small sedan floating on the water. “The water under the bridge was flowing rapidly and was very dark, making it impossible to conduct a rescue.”
Approximately half an hour later, Mr. Wang turned back.
On the morning of the 20th, Shaanxi Traffic Police reported that multiple highways in Shangluo were affected by landslides, floods, and mudslides, resulting in two-way traffic halts. The collapse of the 40-meter section of the Yanping Village No. 2 Bridge on the Shanyang-bound lane of the Shuiyang Expressway at km 46+200 led to the closure of the road in both directions.
In the comments section of this news, one individual mentioned how they had “turned back while passing through that area.” Another person noted the site was “sealed off, with dozens of rescue vehicles arriving.” Some internet users also reported internet and power outages in various parts of Zhashui County.
On July 19th at 9 a.m., Shangluo Meteorological Observatory upgraded the rainstorm red alert, stating that parts of Zhashui County in Shangluo City and southwestern regions of Shangzhou District had received over 70 millimeters of rainfall, with further precipitation expected.
By the end of the day, more than 400 weather stations had recorded accumulated rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters.
From July 20th to 21st, heavy rainfall was forecasted in southern and central Shaanxi, with some areas experiencing torrential downpours. Specific regions such as southern Guanzhong, eastern Hanzhong, parts of Ankang, and Shangluo were expected to receive heavy to torrential rain. The north of Shaanxi, certain parts of Guanzhong, most of southern Shaanxi would have light rain or showers, while some regions in the Qinba Mountains and eastern Shangluo would experience moderate rain, with isolated areas forecasted to have heavy to torrential rain and severe convective weather.
State-run media attributed the bridge collapse to the sudden rainstorm and flooding, but mainland Chinese netizens criticized the substandard construction quality.
“Can a high-level bridge really collapse from a rainstorm and flood? The bridge piers are fine, so the issue likely lies with the bridge deck, which shouldn’t be related to the rainstorm.” “It’s truly outrageous, undoubtedly shoddy work.” “All those shoddy projects from the past are gradually encountering problems!”
Local residents, under pseudonyms, expressed to a reporter from The Epoch Times that their parents and friends’ couples were traveling home when their car fell off the bridge and are currently missing.
One individual stated, “The water hadn’t risen for several years, but suddenly it did, resulting in the bridge collapse, indicating a quality issue.” He also revealed allegations of rampant corruption within Zhashui County’s government, expressing frustration over the lack of a channel for complaints. “Land was requisitioned for constructing highways, but there have been no compensations provided.”