Landslide triggers partial collapse of Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway

A section of a bridge on the Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway in Sandu county, Guizhou province, collapsed early Tuesday morning following a landslide. No casualties have been reported.

The incident happened at around 7:40 am as a truck was crossing, however, the driver was rescued by emergency teams, according to the local authorities.

Drone footage later revealed that three construction vehicles which were beneath the fallen span, belonged to nearby villages and were confirmed to be unoccupied at the time of the incident.

Highway patrol officers first observed structural deformation in the bridge at 5:51 am and imposed one-way traffic controls. Full closure in both directions was enforced by 7:11 am, less than half an hour before the collapse.

The fire department received the collapse alert at 7:50 am and dispatched teams. Rescue, firefighting and public security units have since been on site.

An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the collapse, local authorities said.