The local government of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province said the bridge linking two tunnels along the highway between Kangding and Luding "collapsed due to a sudden mountain torrent and landslide".
As of 11:00 am, officials had confirmed that at least three vehicles had plunged off the road, carrying six people of whom "one person has been rescued and five are missing", the government said in a social media post.
"At present, multiple rescue forces have arrived at the scene to carry out their work," the statement said.
Garze lies in a mountainous area at the foothills of the Himalayas and has a large Tibetan population.
China has seen a string of natural disasters this summer, many linked to extreme weather.
State media reported Friday that the death toll from another highway bridge collapse in northern Shaanxi province last month had risen from 12 to 38, with 24 still missing.
In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, leaving 48 dead.
China is the world's largest emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists say drive climate change and make extreme weather more intense.
Death toll in China bridge collapse rises to 38
Beijing (AFP) Aug 2, 2024 - The death toll from a highway bridge collapse in northern China after heavy rains two weeks ago has climbed to at least 38 with 24 still missing, state media said Friday.
The bridge partially collapsed on July 19 "due to a sudden downpour and flash floods" in Shangluo in the northern province of Shaanxi, state news agency Xinhua reported at the time.
A three-lane section of the bridge plunged into a river, CCTV footage showed, dumping cars and trucks into the torrent below.
On Friday, authorities revised the death toll up from 12 to 38, with 24 still missing, according to Xinhua.
Authorities have also confirmed that 25 vehicles were swept away when the bridge collapsed, CCTV reported.
China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains across the east and south coming as much of the north has sweltered under successive heatwaves.
Climate change, which scientists say is exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions, is making such extreme weather phenomena more frequent and more intense.
In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, leaving 48 dead.
Heavy rains this week in central China have also left at least 30 people dead, state media said Thursday, the same day that weather authorities said July was China's hottest month since records began six decades ago.
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