Summary: The Hongqi Bridge in Maerkang, Sichuan Province, collapsed into a deep gorge at about 3 p.m. after visible buckling; no casualties have been reported. Cracks and slope deformation were detected a day earlier, and authorities had imposed temporary traffic controls. The 758-meter cantilever bridge stood roughly 625 meters above the gorge and had been completed earlier this year. Early reports point to possible geological instability, and investigations are ongoing.
Hongqi Bridge Buckles and Collapses into Gorge in Sichuan — Opened Only Months Earlier
Summary: The Hongqi Bridge in Maerkang, Sichuan Province, collapsed into a deep gorge at about 3 p.m. after visible buckling; no casualties have been reported. Cracks and slope deformation were detected a day earlier, and authorities had imposed temporary traffic controls. The 758-meter cantilever bridge stood roughly 625 meters above the gorge and had been completed earlier this year. Early reports point to possible geological instability, and investigations are ongoing.
11:20 AM, 11/12/2025Society
Major bridge collapse in Sichuan
What happened: The Hongqi Bridge in Maerkang, Sichuan Province, buckled and collapsed into the gorge below on Tuesday afternoon, sending concrete slabs and twisted steel into the river. State media and video circulating on Chinese social platforms captured the structure visibly deforming before the span fell, raising immediate safety concerns.
When and where: The failure occurred at about 3 p.m. local time near the G317 national highway, an important route linking central China with Tibet.
Damage and casualties: Authorities reported that there were no vehicles or pedestrians on the bridge at the time of the collapse and no casualties have been confirmed. Officials had imposed temporary traffic restrictions after cracks and slope deformation were detected the day before the collapse.
Structure details: The Hongqi Bridge was a 758-meter-long, two-lane cantilever beam bridge standing roughly 625 meters above the gorge floor, with piers as tall as 172 meters. It was completed earlier this year and built by the state-backed Sichuan Road & Bridge Group as part of efforts to improve access across western China’s rugged terrain.
Early assessments and response: State-run outlets have not confirmed a definitive cause. Initial reports cited possible geological instability in the area as a contributing factor. Local transportation and public security bureaus quickly closed the site to all traffic, issued public safety notices, and deployed emergency and investigative teams to examine the wreckage and surrounding slopes.
Reports: Reuters, China Central Television (CCTV), Global Times and other outlets are covering the incident. Investigations remain ongoing.
Context: The bridge formed part of the G317 national highway project intended to improve connectivity to the Tibetan Plateau and promote regional economic development. Its collapse, only months after reopening to traffic, highlights the engineering and geological challenges inherent in building infrastructure across steep, seismically and geologically complex terrain.