A 600 ft section of bridge collapsed in Zhuzhou, China, crushing 24 vehicles and killing nine. The condemned bridge remained standing after unsuccessful explosive demolition and traffic continued underneath. Outrage towards government officials has been swift.
The collapse occurred Sunday in the congested city center of Zhuzhou during rush hour, and crushed cars trucks and one bus under the massive superstructure. The bridge had been condemned by government officials and an attempt to level it with explosives had earlier failed, though traffic was allowed to continue underneath even as the bridge stood in a significantly weakened condition. Nine people died in the incident and sixteen were sent to area hospitals with one man in intensive care. The provincial government has promised to compensate the families of the dead to the tune of 400,000 yuan ($59,000 USD) and investigate the contractor and officials involved in the fiasco. [CRI English, Izismile]