Chinese president Xi Jinping has called for an all-out rescue effort after a highway bridge partially collapsed, killing 11 people and leaving another 30 missing.
The incident occurred as storms and torrential rainfall caused flooding across the northwestern part of the country.
The highway bridge, in Shangluo city of Shaanxi province, partially collapsed on Friday night, sending dozens of vehicles crashing into the swollen river.
Authorities said 11 bodies have been recovered from five vehicles that plunged into the river, as of 10am local time on Saturday
Many more people are feared dead, however, as 20 vehicles are still missing, the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times reported.
Mr Xi urged local authorities to maximise their efforts amid a critical period for flood control, saying local governments must also take responsibility to enhance monitoring and early warning.
A total of 736 people, 76 vehicles, 18 boats and 32 drones have been dispatched to join the search and rescue effort, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
Pictures released by the Xinhua news agency showed a section of the bridge snapped and folded down at an almost 90-degree angle into the rushing brown water below.
Extreme rains and flooding have caused devastation in the northwestern part of the country, which is prone to landslides due to its mountainous landscapes and the powerful rivers that run through the region.
It comes as the Three Gorges Dam, China’s largest, was put on high alert last week after dozens of rivers breached their banks and flooded townships.
At least six people were reported dead in Chongqing after flooding in a dozen districts and counties since Thursday, raising the water levels in 29 rivers, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The rainfall season in China has proved more deadly in recent years due to a dramatic decline in the economic expansion, coupled with poor-quality infrastructure, poor safety supervision and a desire to cut corners by industries.
Almost a year’s worth of rain pounded a small town in Henan earlier this week on Tuesday. It recorded 606.7mm (24 inches) of rainfall in Dafengying over a 24 hour-period, the most anywhere in China, according to national weather forecasters. That compares with the average annual rainfall of 800mm in the area.
