At least five workers have been killed following the collapse of a section of the Yuegang bridge currently under construction in the Xiangshui district of Yancheng, China.
Operative Information Center-OMM, citing the Xinhua news agency, reports that a 95-meter section of the structure gave way while work was ongoing. All five victims were employees working directly on the collapsed segment at the time of the incident.
The infrastructure project was being executed by the state-owned China Railway 12th Bureau Group. The bridge is a critical component of a new high-speed railway line designed to connect the cities of Lianyungang and Shanghai. Authorities have launched a large-scale investigation to determine the cause of the structural failure.
While China has made significant strides in expanding its high-speed rail network over the last decade, the sector has faced scrutiny regarding safety standards. Rapid infrastructure development in the region has occasionally been marred by industrial accidents, often attributed by experts to gaps in safety protocols or deficiencies in geological site surveys. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges in maintaining rigorous oversight during large-scale engineering projects.
