Mountain crash triggers collapse of Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan

A massive landslide in China’s Sichuan province caused the Hongqi Bridge, a newly completed mountain bridge, to partially collapse just weeks after it opened to traffic. Authorities said that no casualties occurred thanks to early warnings and the prompt closure of the area before the disaster.

Dramatic footage shared on Chinese social media platforms shows a section of the bridge plunging into the Dadu River as an enormous volume of rock and debris crashed down from the mountain above. The incident sent clouds of dust across the Maerkang region, located in southwestern China.

The Hongqi Bridge, part of a key highway connecting Sichuan province to Tibet, opened to the public on September 28, 2025. Built to improve transportation across mountainous terrain, it stretched 2,500 feet and stood 2,050 feet above the river gorge.

How early detection helped avert casualties

According to local officials, police and engineers monitoring the bridge had spotted cracks along nearby slopes and roads just hours before the collapse. Traffic was halted in both directions as a precaution, a move credited with preventing potential loss of life.

The Maerkang County Emergency Management Bureau confirmed that after detecting slope movement, they shut down traffic and evacuated nearby areas. Soon after, the mountain gave way, unleashing a torrent of rock and soil that struck the bridge with immense force.

Experts say the incident highlights the dangers of building infrastructure in geologically unstable regions, particularly amid worsening weather patterns linked to climate change and deforestation in mountainous areas.

Bridge collapse raises questions over engineering and terrain stability

While some social media users accused local authorities of poor engineering, several civil engineers and geologists defended the construction team, emphasizing the sheer scale of the landslide.

One Weibo user wrote:

“The foundation on the mountain was not deep and strong enough.”

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Another countered:

“This isn’t a construction problem; what we are seeing is a mountain collapsing. No bridge could withstand a force like this.”

Initial assessments suggest that the bridge’s design met safety codes, but unstable mountain strata and prolonged rainfall likely triggered the slope failure. Investigators are now conducting geological surveys to determine whether similar projects nearby might be at risk.

Built near the world’s tallest dam under construction

The Hongqi Bridge lies close to the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station, a major energy project that has been under construction for nearly a decade. Once completed, the dam will become the tallest in the world, standing over 1,000 feet high.

Experts have raised concerns that ongoing heavy construction in the region, combined with extensive blasting, tunnel work, and altered river flow, could exacerbate soil instability. However, local officials insist that the dam site and the bridge collapse are unrelated.

Public reaction: frustration and awe

Online discussions reflect both anger and resignation. Many Chinese citizens criticized the country’s rush to complete ambitious infrastructure projects in challenging terrain, while others expressed awe at the scale of natural destruction.

“Nature always wins,” one commenter wrote, while another said, “This shows how even the strongest human engineering can be humbled by the mountains.”

The collapse underscores the challenges China faces in balancing rapid development with safety and environmental stability, especially in its western provinces, where infrastructure must often contend with steep slopes, seismic activity, and extreme weather.

What happens next

Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation into the collapse, led by the Ministry of Transport and the Sichuan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Engineers are inspecting nearby bridges and highways for signs of geological stress.

In the meantime, access to the Maerkang area remains restricted, and reconstruction plans will depend on the results of the geological assessment.

As China continues to expand its vast network of highways and bridges through mountainous regions, the Hongqi Bridge disaster serves as a sobering reminder of the power of nature and the limits of human engineering in its path.

TL;DR

• The Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan collapsed after a massive landslide struck it on Monday.
• The bridge opened just weeks ago and connected Sichuan to the Tibetan Plateau.
• No casualties occurred due to early detection of cracks and prompt closure.
• The incident has sparked debate over engineering safety vs. natural forces.
• Investigations are ongoing, and nearby structures are being inspected for risk.