A Chinese official said today that a bridge that collapsed killing at least 41 people was made of just rocks wrapped in concrete instead of steel so that it would be in "harmony with the environment".
BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese official said today that a bridge that collapsed killing at least 41 people was made of just rocks wrapped in concrete instead of steel so that it would be in "harmony with the environment".
The death toll from Monday's collapse of the almost-completed Fenghuang highway bridge in the southern province of Hunan was expected to rise further. Dozens of construction workers were feared trapped beneath a huge pile of debris on the Tuo river.
"While the cause of the collapse is still unknown, a local official at the scene claimed that a 'traditional and risky' model of bridge, made of stone and concrete, had been chosen over a steel structure to ensure it remained 'in harmony with the natural environment'," the China Daily said.
Investigation teams and experts have pointed a finger of blame at design flaws and quality defects in the 42-metre high bridge's structure and materials.
"The ruptured parts of the bridge show broken stones, also it was a clean break. It's obvious the quality was too poor," the Beijing News quoted an architecture expert at Beijing's Tsinghua university as saying.
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Over 1,500 rescue workers were picking through the debris to find the missing, Xinhua news agency reported, adding that President Hu Jintao had ordered a thorough investigation.
Police had detained a construction manager and a project supervisor, Xinhua said on Tuesday, a day after the bridge broke apart like a pat of "beancurd", state media said, quoting a rescuer.
One of the contractors building the bridge also worked on a bridge that fell apart two months ago, local media reported on Thursday.
On June 15, a section of the 1,600-metre Jiujiang bridge, connecting Foshan and Heshan in neighboring Guangdong province, collapsed after a barge laden with sand crashed into it, causing several cars and pedestrians to fall into the river below.
Investigators detained the captain and five other suspects. The bridge was deemed structurally sound.
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