As many as 12 people were killed and over 60 went missing in a bridge collapse due to flash floods in China’s Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces.
According to local authorities, the highway bridge collapse triggered by heavy rains left 31 people missing. The bridge, located in Zhashui County in Shangluo City, collapsed around 8:40 pm on Friday.
Rescue and relief operations are underway.
The bridge collapse caused 17 cars and eight trucks to plunge into the Jinqian River below the bridge. Officials recovered around seven vehicles.
Meanwhile, as the search operations continue, 31 people remain unaccounted for, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Also, in the flash floods over 30 people went missing in the Xinhua Village in Sichuan Province.
Around 40 houses were damaged in the village in Hanyuan County, Ya'an City in the recent floods.
The disaster also disrupted roads, bridges, and communications.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out rescue and relief efforts to safeguard people's lives and property after the collapse of the highway bridge.
"The immediate priority is to carry out rescue operations, make every effort to search for the missing and minimise casualties," Xi said in his instructions to the officials.
He also urged efforts to assist the families of those affected, emphasising the importance of well-planned rescue and the prevention of secondary disasters.
The semi-desert province of Gansu, which neighbours Shaanxi and Henan in central China were also hit by heavy rain this week.