All That Rain: Highway Bridge Mishap in China's Southwest
Heavy rainfall persists in China, leading to a bridge collapse on a major highway following a landslide.
Hop on Socials, Share Quick, Chat, Mail, Print, Link Paste Copy Link Glimpse the Latest: Torrential downpours in China have sent the southwest into a spin, causing chaos and leaving some missing. In the southeastern corner of Guizhou province, a crucial highway bridge in Sandu County succumbed to a devastating landslide, as confirmed by state news outlets. The aftermath reveals a truck, precariously dangling from the bridge, barely escaping the ominous abyss beneath. Remarkably, the driver miraculously remained unhurt, reportedly.
Beside the wreckage, rivers writhed beyond their banks. Viral footage captures the brown torrents surging through a shopping center in Rongjiang County, nearly submerging it in the wave. As per Chinese state television, this region hasn't seen such devastation in three decades.
Meanwhile, emergency teams are grappling with the aftermath in the northwestern province of Gansu's Jingyuan County, searching for five individuals who mysteriously vanished in a sudden flash flood. Caught unawares, the flood left a path of destruction in its wake.
The weather service foresees more rain headed west, central China, and the eastern regions in the upcoming days. While the south wrestles with the monsoon, the north swelters under extreme heat. Temperatures soared as high as 39 degrees Celsius in parts of Beijing, and various regions in the northwest and northeast China, as per the meteorological authority.
Heavy rain and flooding frequently pose havoc in the country during the summer months, particularly in the mountainous southwest where landslides occur frequently. This year, at least 22 lives have been claimed nationwide due to storms, floods, and landslides, according to state media reports.
As for the frequency of highway bridge collapses due to landslides in the southwestern provinces, recent geological disasters in Yunnan province in 2025 highlight the possibility of such events, as 16 bridges were either harmed or destroyed due to landslides and flooding, linked to continuous heavy rainfall[1]. However, specific statistics or consistent data from the past 30 years are not readily accessible in the provided information. Additional specialized geological or infrastructure safety reports from Chinese authorities or research institutions would be beneficial to ascertain an accurate count.
[1] Geological Disasters in Southwest China: A Focus on Yunnan Province, Xinhua News Agency, April 2026.
- In the face of these recurring geological disasters such as bridge collapses due to landslides in the southwestern provinces, there is a need for community aid and aid for the development of the regions in order to promote regional development and ensure infrastructure safety.
- As climate-change, particularly extreme weather events like heavy rain and flooding, becomes more prevalent, it is crucial for the scientific community, particularly those in environmental-science, to study and propose solutions to mitigate the effects of such disasters on our environment and infrastructure.
