Hongqi Bridge Collapse in China After Landslide Caught on Video

In a startling development, a segment of the recently opened Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan, China, collapsed into a river only months after it first opened. The Tuesday afternoon incident was caused by a significant landslide in the mountainous area. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported to date.

A Frightening Moment Caught on Camera

A video now viral on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) captured the moment the bridge collapsed. The video shows the large landslide overtaking the area — clouds of dust and debris are kicked up as the hill begins to fall apart. Within moments, huge chunks of soil and debris remove the bridge’s foundation, causing two giant concrete pillars to bend and a large portion of the 758-metre bridge to fall into the river below.

The video has prompted widespread unease about whether construction is safe in China, especially since the bridge was just built.

What Caused the Collapse?

As reported by Reuters, the bridge was already closed to traffic on Monday prior to the collapse when engineers noticed cracks on slopes and roads in the vicinity. There were also early signs of terrain instability on a mountain nearby. While the closure was precautionary, the situation deteriorated quickly and caused the catastrophic landslide and subsequent collapse of part of the bridge and the approach road to the bridge.

Preliminary assessments suggest the landslide was primarily linked to geological instability in the steep terrain. This area has a history of landslides, particularly during heavy rain and seismic activity, so the rough terrain is expected to exhibit some level of geological instability.

What Caused the Collapse?

Local officials confirmed that a capital-intensive technical investigation is already underway to determine if any structural or engineering defects contributed to the bridge’s collapse. Officials with the Sichuan Road & Bridge Group, the contractor of the bridge, indicated that the bridge was only recently finished and passed construction inspection per all construction and safety codes.

Emergency services were dispatched to the site promptly to secure the site and assess future geological risks. The state has also started safety inspections of other regional bridges to infrastructure projects.

A Key Transport Link Severed

The Hongqi Bridge was a key transport link as it connected key parts of central China to Tibet. Its collapse interrupts a major national highway route and creates a significant challenge for logistics and local trips through the mountainous Sichuan Tibet corridor.

The event highlights the growing stress of infrastructure development in geologically weak regions, where natural forces exceed both the capabilities of advanced engineering and planning.

Looking Forward

While the investigation continues, some experts are calling for more robust monitoring systems and consideration of risk planning for infrastructure projects in delicate areas. The Hongqi Bridge incident is a sobering reminder how unpredictability in nature still shows the limits of human design — and the need for resilience in modern engineering.