Stunning footage circulating on social media captures the dramatic moment a massive landslide caused the newly constructed Hongqi Bridge in China to partially collapse on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
The bridge, located in the mountainous Sichuan province, is a critical segment of a national highway linking central China to Tibet. The incident is particularly alarming as the 758-meter-long structure had only been open for a few months before the disaster struck.
Miraculous Escape: No Casualties Reported
Authorities in Maerkang city confirmed that no casualties or injuries were reported from the collapse. This fortunate outcome is attributed to proactive safety measures. The bridge had been closed to traffic the day before, on Monday, after officials detected dangerous slope deformation and shifting terrain on the right bank.
Further inspections revealed concerning cracks in the roadway, prompting local authorities to activate an emergency response. They immediately installed warning signs and issued traffic control notices to alert the public of the potential danger.
The Collapse Caught on Camera
Video of the incident shows a terrifying scene as rocks and debris cascade down the mountain slope. The powerful torrent of earth wiped out the roadway and a section of the bridge, sending a large plume of smoke and dust into the air.
After the dust settled, the footage revealed several highway pillars and parts of the road lying destroyed on the ground, while the remainder of the bridge structure was left standing. Officials have not provided a timeline for when repairs on the vital transportation link might be completed. Motorists have been directed to use detour routes established by local authorities.
A Troubling Pattern of Infrastructure Failures
This event marks the second high-profile infrastructure failure in China in recent months. On August 22, 2025, a railway bridge under construction collapsed in Qinghai province, tragically killing 12 workers.
According to the Business & Human Rights Centre, the Qinghai accident occurred during a tensioning operation when a steel cable snapped. Surveillance video showed the middle portion of the bridge falling into the Yellow River amid a shower of sparks. That bridge was being constructed as part of the Sichuan-Qinghai high-speed rail line intended to connect to Tibet and was described as the largest-span double-track railway steel truss arch bridge in the world.
This series of incidents raises questions about infrastructure resilience in geologically challenging regions. Meanwhile, a separate bridge collapse over a river in India's Gujarat state in July claimed 11 lives, with a 12th victim succumbing to injuries weeks later.
