A major bridge in China has collapsed into a river just months after opening to traffic

According to Chinese state media, a massive bridge built at a hydropower station in southwest China collapsed on Tuesday, sending concrete and steel tumbling into the river.

Reuters reported that a Barkam County official confirmed the collapse to China's state-run newspaper, the Global Times, saying there were no reports of casualties.

The report further stated that cracks were noticed on the bridge's road surface and slope a day earlier, prompting authorities to impose temporary traffic controls.

Footage of the bridge collapse, widely shared on Chinese social media, shows the Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan Province tilting before falling into the river below, sending up a massive cloud of dust.

According to China Central Television (CCTV) News, the incident occurred around 3 p.m. local time near the G317 National Highway.

The local Transportation and Public Security Bureau said that the bridge's right-bank slope showed signs of deformation on Monday afternoon, just hours before the collapse.

Authorities immediately closed the bridge to all traffic and issued a public notice warning of potential safety risks.

According to Times Now, the Hongqi Bridge was located in the mountainous Merkang region of Sichuan Province and was completed earlier this year as part of the G317 National Highway—a vital route connecting central China to Tibet.

The 758-meter-long, cantilevered two-lane beam bridge stood approximately 625 meters above the valley floor, with pillars reaching up to 172 meters high. It was built by the state-backed Sichuan Road and Bridge Group as part of efforts to increase access to the Tibetan Plateau.

According to Times Now, the bridge's construction was part of a broader government effort to improve connectivity and boost economic development in western China's rugged terrain.

It was intended to symbolize the country's infrastructure ambitions, but it had reopened to traffic just months before the collapse—marking a short-lived chapter in China's engineering prowess.

Government agencies have not yet determined the cause of the bridge collapse, although initial assessments suggest geological instability may have played a role. Officials said there were no vehicles or pedestrians on the bridge at the time, and an investigation is ongoing.