By Xinhua
Fenghuang (China) : At least 22 people have been killed in a bridge collapse in Hunan province of central China, officials said Tuesday.
The road bridge, under construction over the Tuojiang River in Fenghuang, collapsed at 4.40 p.m. Monday, blocking the Fenghuang-Daxing highway.
Officials had earlier said that a total of 123 workers were at the site when the bridge caved in. However, over 1,000 rescuers at the accident site were still trying to determine the exact number.
A total of 86 people have been rescued, of whom 22 were injured, including five who are still in a critical condition, said sources in the rescue headquarters.
“We didn’t see any sign of a problem before the tragedy,” said an official at a site close to the bridge who declined to be named. “I heard the sounds of the crash and before I could realise what was happening, I saw the bridge fall slowly and become a pile of rocks.”
Sitting by the Tuojiang River, 29-year-old Tian Jing, who was working at the construction site, is still in shock. “Three of my fellow villagers were buried in debris,” he said. “I wonder if they have been rescued.”
Construction of the 328-metre-long and 42-metre-high bridge was scheduled for completion this month and workers have been dismantling steel scaffolding erected during the construction process since mid July.
The project, involving an estimated investment of 12 million yuan ($1.6 million), belongs to Fengda company based in Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture in western Hunan.
Police have detained Xia Youjia, construction manager and project supervisor Jiang Ping. All technical data about the bridge have been sealed for examination.
Fenghuang, in western Hunan and 700 km away from the provincial capital Changsha, is home to the Tujia and Miao ethnic minorities and a famous tourist destination.