Overloading blamed for Harbin bridge collapse

Harbin authorities found on Wednesday that overloading caused a bridge collapse that killed two people and injured five others on August 24 in the Heilongjiang provincial capital, while also admitting the city's traffic management indirectly contributed to the tragedy.

Despite initial suspicion the accident was due to poor construction, an investigation by the city's government found that overloaded trucks resulted in the collapse of the Yangmingtan Bridge ramp, local authorities said.

"Judicial and administrative processes have begun to punish departments and individuals responsible for the accident," Ren Ruichen, a vice mayor of Harbin, said at a press conference.

Local traffic bureaus have been held partly responsible amid the continuing investigation.

The city's government also vowed to strengthen local traffic safety regulations, raise safety awareness among motorists, crack down on overloaded vehicles and close safety loopholes in the design and construction of bridges.

Dan Danhui, an associate professor at the Center for Bridge Safety Tests at Tongji University, agreed with the probe's findings that overloading was to blame, urging greater public attention to bridge safety.

"Civil engineers shouldn't be satisfied with meeting current regulations, but accommodate for overloading and chaotic traffic when designing bridges to ensure lives won't be endangered," Dan told the Global Times.

Four trucks, carrying loads weighing a combined 300 tons, were driving on the right side of the bridge's ramp, constructed within 90 days at a cost of 7.09 million yuan ($1.13 million), when the fatal collapse occurred.

The tragedy triggered public uproar and raised questions about the quality of construction, including whether corruption resulted in corners being cut.