12 dead, more than 60 missing in bridge collapse, flash floods in China

At least 12 people were killed in a bridge collapse and more than 60 others went missing in flash floods in China's Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces, officials said on Saturday.

The highway bridge collapse triggered by torrential rains in northwest Shaanxi Province killed 12 people and left 31 others missing, local authorities said.

The bridge, located in Zhashui County in Shangluo City, partially collapsed around 8:40 pm on Friday due to a sudden downpour and flash floods, according to the provincial publicity department.

So far, rescue workers have found 12 dead bodies and rescued one person, said the ruling Chinese Communist Party's provincial committee.

The collapse caused 17 cars and eight trucks to plunge into the Jinqian River below the bridge, according to initial investigations.

Rescue officials have recovered seven vehicles that had fallen into the swollen river.

Thirty-one people remain unaccounted for, and search efforts are ongoing, state-run Xinhua news agency ...