In a startling structural failure, a major 758-metre-long bridge in southwestern China has dramatically collapsed just months after it opened to the public.
The Moment of Collapse
The Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan province crumbled on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, after being struck by a significant landslide. Astonishing video of the incident, which has been viewed over half a million times on social media platform X, shows the bridge's approach disintegrating, sending vast amounts of debris tumbling down the mountainside and into the river below.
Eyewitness footage captures clouds of dust filling the air before the bridge's supporting columns gave way, leading to the entire structure being razed to the ground. The collapse was accompanied by an almighty thunderous roar as sections of the bridge crashed onto the terrain.
Events Leading to the Disaster
Concerns about the structure's stability were raised a day before the catastrophic failure. Police closed the bridge on Monday afternoon after cracks were detected on nearby slopes and the adjacent road. The local government confirmed that shifts had been observed in the mountain's terrain.
Conditions are reported to have worsened significantly on Tuesday, when landslides were triggered, leading directly to the bridge's destruction. The Hongqi Bridge, which had only been open since September 28, was a key part of a highway linking China's heartland with Tibet. It stood an impressive 625 metres from the bridge deck to the bottom of the gorge.
Investigating the Cause
While an official investigation is underway, early analysis from experts and social media users points to geological instability exacerbated by a nearby reservoir. One theory suggests that cracks in the adjacent mountainside, potentially induced by water accumulation and pressure from the Shuangjiangkou reservoir, triggered the landslide.
Another user on X commented that rising water levels in the reservoir, likely worsened by recent heavy rainfall in the region, weakened the unstable rock formations. This is believed to have caused a sudden rockfall and debris slide that struck the bridge's right span and piers, leading to the partial collapse.
Authorities have confirmed that there have been no casualties reported from the incident. The focus now turns to understanding the full cause of the collapse and the implications for other infrastructure projects in geologically complex regions.
