The collapse of the China Bridge left 11 dead and over 30 missing.
A bridge in northern China collapsed due to heavy rains, leaving eleven people dead and over thirty people missing, according to a report released on Saturday by state broadcaster CCTV.
Shangluo, in Shaanxi province, lost its bridge over a river at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Friday (1240 GMT) “because of a sudden downpour and flash floods,”
the provincial public relations department was cited by state news agency Xinhua.
According to CCTV, “nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 people” are still unaccounted for after the highway bridge crumbled into the river below.
Images on state television displayed the water pouring over a portion of the bridge that was half submerged.
Since Tuesday, heavy rains have pounded large parts of northern and central China, resulting in flooding and serious damage.
Sixteen people were reported missing and at least five dead on Friday by state media in Shaanxi, when rain caused mudslides and flooding in Baoji city.
Images of entirely flooded communities by murky water were shown on state television, with inhabitants and excavators working to clean up the damage.
Severe weather
This week’s severe rains also affected Henan, in central China, and Gansu, a semi-desert region bordering Shaanxi.
According to CCTV, the beginning of this week saw the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain fall in Nanyang, Henan.
China is experiencing extremely hot summer temperatures, with significant rains falling in the east and south while much of the north has been scorching in back-to-back heat waves.
These kinds of extreme weather events are becoming more common and stronger due to climate change, which scientists believe is exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions.
After many days of rain, a highway in southern China collapsed in May, killing 48 people.
A tornado struck a hamlet in eastern China earlier this month, leaving one person dead, 79 injured, and extensive damage.
