China: two highways collapse in three months. Now authorities will monitor the network

Chinese authorities have asked for increased safety checks of key infrastructure around the nation after a second fatal highway collapse in three months killed at least 15 people as heavy rainfall continued to hit the country.

By Sunday evening, the death toll from a bridge collapse on Danning highway in China’s northwestern Shaanxi province on Friday had risen to 15, with some of the 25 vehicles that plunged into the river still missing, according to Xinhua.

The bridge in Shangluo collapsed because a flash flood stemming from a persistent storm caused vehicles to plunge into the river, state media said.

The incident occurred three months after a similar highway collapse in Meizhou, a city in southern Guangdong, caused 51 deaths.

China has experienced intense rainfall this year, and from mid-July to mid-August, when the peak rainy season occurs, there is a specific and increased risk of flooding, with many regions regularly issuing and updating flood alerts.

On Sunday, Beijing’s Ministry of Emergency Management issued a notice, saying lessons must be drawn from the most recent collapse.

“We should resolutely prevent the disasters that could lead to mass death and casualties,” it said in the statement.

Guagzhong Highway (collapse X/@RawsGlobal)

The ministry urged local authorities to closely monitor major infrastructure such as highways and railways, as well as key areas, including mountainous and water-related construction projects and high-risk locations such as bridges, urban underground spaces, and tunnels.

It pushed for better application of monitoring technologies for the early detection and reporting of risk factors.

On Saturday, local authorities, including in Shaanxi and Hubei provinces, urgently launched risk inspections of infrastructure, particularly bridges.

They also called for improved coordination between departments responsible for public security, meteorology, water resources, and emergency management and for responsible personnel to be on duty all day during flood season to promptly mitigate extreme weather disaster risks.

“We should adopt worst-case scenario thinking to deal with extreme weather and overcome any decline in alertness,” the Shaanxi provincial government said, urging officials not to take risks or be complacent.

The Sichuan transport department requested “full coverage and thorough” inspections on disaster-prone areas and infrastructure after communication, roads, and bridges were disrupted by a flash flood in Hanyuan County, Sichuan, on Saturday.

At least 10 people were reported dead and 29 were missing in the flash flood triggered by a heavy rainstorm, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

In order to track the condition of infrastructure in real time, the Hebei provincial transport department also promoted intelligent monitoring technologies like drones and ground-penetrating radar.

The Danning Highway is a provincial road connecting three cities that is included in national road network planning. The highway construction project is led by the Shangluo city government using a public-private partnership model for construction.

The middle section of the highway, from Shanyang to Zhashui, where the collapse occurred, officially opened for operation in December 2018.