A newly built Hongqi Bridge in China’s Sichuan province has collapsed just a few months after its opening. The bridge came crashing down after a massive landslide hit the area, sending rocks, debris, and mud onto the structure. Dramatic videos shared on social media show a large section of the bridge falling into the river below as thick clouds of dust spread across the area.

The Hongqi Bridge was an important part of a highway connecting Sichuan to Tibet. It was built high up in the mountains to make travel between the region and China’s heartland easier. The bridge, which officially opened to the public on September 28, stood at a height of 2,050 feet from the base to the bottom of the gorge. It was located near the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station, where construction of what will be the world’s tallest dam has been ongoing for nearly a decade.

According to reports, the collapse occurred on Tuesday due to bad weather conditions that triggered the landslide. Thankfully, no one was injured or killed in the incident. Local authorities said that police had earlier noticed cracks on the slopes and roads above the bridge, which prompted them to close the area to traffic in Maerkang city. This timely action helped prevent any major disaster or loss of life.

After the collapse, many people on social media criticized the construction quality of the bridge, questioning the strength of its foundation. Some users said the bridge’s base “was not deep or strong enough” to handle such conditions, especially since it was built on a mountain.

However, others defended China’s engineers, arguing that the landslide was so powerful that no bridge could have survived such force. They pointed out that what actually happened was a mountain collapsing onto the bridge, and not a structural failure caused by poor design.

Authorities are now investigating the cause of the landslide and the extent of the damage. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of infrastructure projects in mountainous regions of China, especially those exposed to extreme weather and unstable terrain.