Newly Opened Hongqi Bridge Collapses in Sichuan Province, China

A recently completed bridge in southwestern China collapsed today, sending debris into the mountains and water below, though no casualties have been reported.

Part of the 758-meter-long Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan province came down on Tuesday, November 12, 2025, following a landslide. Videos circulating on Chinese social media show sections of the bridge structure giving way, creating large plumes of dust. Authorities had preemptively closed the bridge yesterday after cracks were detected in nearby roadways.

The Hongqi Bridge is a key component of a national highway connecting Sichuan and Tibet, traversing a region known for seismic activity. This area was severely impacted by the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which resulted in nearly 70,000 fatalities. The bridge’s construction was completed earlier this year by Sichuan Road and Bridge Group, reflecting China’s ambitious infrastructure development in challenging terrain – a program intended to boost regional economic growth and connectivity. You can learn more about infrastructure projects in China at the World Bank.

This collapse raises questions about geological stability and construction standards in the region, particularly as China continues to build extensively in mountainous areas. Similar large-scale infrastructure projects are underway, like the recent unveiling of the world’s tallest bridge in neighboring Guizhou province – read more about that here. Officials have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the landslide and subsequent bridge failure.