"Longyan vehicle plunges into the river, resulting in 5 deaths." The incident occurred at an ancient covered bridge, where residents said the vehicle broke through the wooden guardrail. Rescue efforts continued until 3 a.m.

Ask AI · Are there safety concerns with the ancient covered bridge wooden railings during heavy rain?

Jimu News reporter Deng Bo

According to CCTV News, on the evening of April 6, in Xinqiao Town, Changting County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, a small car had an accident, fell into the river channel beneath the bridge, and caused 5 deaths.

On-site rescue footage

On the morning of the 7th, a reporter from Jimu News learned in an interview that the incident occurred at the Tingning Bridge on the Tingjiang River in Xinqiao Town, Changting County. The bridge is an ancient covered bridge; normally, it can be used by both vehicles and pedestrians. Gaode Map shows that after the incident, the bridge has been closed. A nearby resident told the reporter that the accident happened at around 22:00 on the 6th. That night, it rained heavily. The railings on Tingning Bridge were made of wood; the vehicle crashed into the bridge, broke the guardrail, and then fell into the river. “After the incident, the traffic police arrived at the scene and cordoned off the bridge.”

Rescue video footage from the scene shows the accident vehicle being lifted out of the fast-flowing river by a crane, while rescue personnel used a speedboat to assist with the recovery. A staff member from a civilian rescue team told the reporter that their rescue operations continued until 3:00 a.m. on the 7th. Also, according to Strait Metropolis Daily, when rescue personnel arrived at the scene that night, they saw that the guardrail on one side of the bridge had already been smashed, and a small car had driven headfirst into the river channel. At the time, the water flow was turbulent, and the 5 people in the car showed no signs of life.

On-site rescue footage

The reporter from Jimu News noted that at 17:17 on April 6, the Fujian Meteorological Observatory issued a heavy rain alert. From the night of the 6th to the daytime of the 7th, most areas in Fuzhou and Longyan had heavy rain, and in some places there were strong convective weather conditions such as thunderstorms with wind gusts of levels 7–9 or hail. The Longyan Municipal Meteorological Bureau issued a meteorological risk early warning for geological disasters. From 20:00 on April 6 to 20:00 on the 7th, the risk of geological disasters occurring was relatively higher in areas such as Anjie Township and Xinqiao Town in Changting County.

Regarding the circumstances related to this accident, a staff member from the Xinqiao Town government said that the accident is still under investigation.

(Source: Jimu News)