At least 11 dead after bridge collapses in China due to torrential rains

The bridge in Shaanxi province collapsed at around 8:40 p.m. on Friday night.

Beijing, China:

Eleven people have died when a bridge in northern China collapsed amid torrential rain, state news agency Xinhua reported Saturday.

The bridge in Shangluo, Shaanxi province, collapsed at around 8:40 p.m. on Friday (1240 GMT) “due to a sudden downpour and flash floods,” Xinhua said, citing the provincial public relations department.

Rescue operations were underway on Saturday morning, according to Xinhua, and five vehicles have been recovered from the water so far.

State television CCTV footage showed a partially submerged section of the bridge with the river rushing over it.

Large areas of northern and central China have been hit by heavy rain since Tuesday, causing flooding and significant damage.

On Friday, state media reported that at least five people were killed and eight were missing after rains triggered flooding and landslides in the Shaanxi city of Baoji.

China is experiencing a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains in the east and south, while much of the north is sweltering under successive heat waves.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)