China Bridge collapse, there are victims

Death toll has risen to 20 with at least 39 others missing after a bridge in central China 's Hunan Province collapsed Monday, rescuers said on Tuesday.

Photo: China Bridge collapse, there are victims

Click here to see photos of Minneapolis bridge collapses

A total of 123 workers were at the site when the bridge being built over the Tuo River in Fenghuang county collapsed at 4:40 p.m. on Monday, blocking the Fenghuang-Daxing highway.

Of the 64 survivors, 22 were injured in the collapse and have been rushed to nearby hospitals, according to the local rescue headquarters.

Construction of the 328-meter-long, 42-meter-high bridge was scheduled for completion this month and workers have been since mid July dismantling steel scaffolding erected during the construction process, Xinhua reports.

The semi-official China News Service said 200 to 300 people were working on the 42-metre-high bridge when it collapsed in a matter of seconds.

The bridge was part of a new highway linking Fenghuang with an airport in neighbouring Guizhou province and had been scheduled to open to traffic at the end of August, the agency said.

Rescue workers and about 400 soldiers were using mechanical diggers to search the rubble for the missing on Tuesday.

The cause of the accident was still under investigation, the reports said, Bangkok Post informs.