China road bridge collapses, traps cars underneath

A highway bridge collapsed in Jiangsu province in eastern China on Thursday, state media said, trapping cars underneath in the rubble.

The accident occurred around 6 pm local time (1000 GMT) in Wuxi city, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of Shanghai, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

State-run People's Daily said in a tweet that rescue and investigation work was under way, and local newspaper the Yangzi Evening News said at least ten ambulances were seen racing to the scene.

Photos tweeted by People's Daily showed at least two cars completely crushed under a large section of the collapsed bridge, below a truck that had been driving over the bridge.

Dramatic videos posted on social media showed the section of the bridge swaying then crashing onto the road and vehicles underneath.

Other images showed crushed cars, with only their front sections or headlights visible under a huge block of grey concrete. One clip posted on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform showed the moment the bridge falls -- narrowly avoiding a small three-wheel car, whose driver was seen leaping out and running away.

CCTV posted on Twitter than no casualties had been reported yet, citing local media. It said three cars were trapped under the bridge, including one parked car. Construction and road accidents are not uncommon in China.

In February 2018, at least eight people died in downtown Foshan, Guangdong province, when a water leak inside a subway station construction site caused a major road to cave in.