Railway bridge partly collapses in China's Chongqing as rain drenches region

BEIJING - A railway bridge in Chongqing partially collapsed on Tuesday (July 4) morning, local authorities reported, after rain deluged the southwestern Chinese municipality for several days and fuelled concerns that more rain-induced disasters will hit the country.

Over the past month, China has experienced torrential rains, flash floods and deadly mudslides, leading government officials to issue heightened warnings and advisories.

Steady downpours in Chongqing for several days led to the strongest stretch of rainfall since the rainy season began, state media reported. The city of 30 million people is one of the most populous in China.

The rainy season in China runs from May to September this year.

Between 8am on June 29 and 8am on July 3, Chongqing had persistent rain with about 219 mm registered in the city's Beibei district, CCTV news reported, citing the municipality's water resources bureau.

The Sibuhe railway bridge in Chongqing partially collapsed after being damaged by flood waters, according to the local bureau of the National Railway Administration.

Train operations were temporarily halted or rearranged.

Footage on social media showed homes collapsing and scenes of rescue boats evacuating people amid heavy rains in Chongqing.

Meanwhile, local media reported a car with five people was washed away by flood waters at a bridge in Queshan county in Henan province on Monday night. One person was rescued.

Chinese meteorological authorities had warned of risks of rain-triggered geological disasters in parts of Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Shaanxi from 8pm Monday to 8pm Tuesday.

Residents have been advised to take precautions, especially in areas with hidden dangers, according to Xinhua.

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