Flood Collapses Highway Bridge in Northern China

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A highway bridge in northern China collapsed due to flash floods triggered by heavy rains, and two cars fell into the river, state media reported Thursday as parts of China are experiencing the worst floods in decades.

There were no known casualties as of Thursday afternoon after a bridge across the Mayi River collapsed along the Harbin-Mudanjiang Highway in Heilongjiang province, according to the Beijing News. Images published by local media showed two badly damaged cars floating in the water.

The bridge collapsed around 8:50 a.m. local time on Thursday, road authorities said. A rescue operation was ongoing, and a section of the highway had been closed, according to state media.

China is seeing floods triggered by heavy rains in several parts of the country. Weather authorities said the capital, Beijing, recorded its heaviest rainfall in at least 140 years over the past few days as remnants of Typhoon Doksuri deluged the region, turning streets into canals where emergency crews used rubber boats to rescue stranded residents.

A second rescuer was confirmed dead on Thursday in the Beijing area and the surrounding Hebei province, where the number of casualties rose to 22. Liu Jianmin, 47, was working with the Blue Sky Rescue Team, a nongovernmental organization focused on relief efforts, when he fell into the water in Fozizhuang Township, according to the organization. His body was recovered later.

Another rescuer was declared dead on Wednesday after the rubber boat she was in flipped over in a rapidly flowing river.