Four workers were killed and 12 others remain missing after a construction cable snapped at a bridge site on the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway in northwest China's Qinghai Province early Friday. Authorities confirmed the accident occurred around 3 a.m. local time as crews worked on a steel truss arch bridge spanning the Yellow River.
Emergency responders are conducting search-and-rescue operations at the site, where the bridge's main span was scheduled for completion by month's end. The project forms part of a critical infrastructure initiative to enhance connectivity between Sichuan Province and Qinghai's resource-rich regions.
While the cause of the cable failure remains under investigation, the incident has renewed discussions about safety protocols in large-scale engineering projects across Asia. The Sichuan-Qinghai Railway, a key component of China's western development strategy, aims to improve transportation links in ecologically sensitive areas of the Tibetan Plateau.
Local authorities have pledged full support for affected families and promised a thorough review of construction safety standards. The bridge's collapse marks one of the most serious industrial accidents in Qinghai this year, with implications for regional infrastructure timelines and worker safety practices.
