At least eleven people were killed when a highway bridge in northwest China partially collapsed as a result of severe storms and flooding.
Five vehicles that had fallen off the bridge were recovered after the bridge collapsed in Shaanxi province on Friday evening, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Rescue operations continued in Zhashui County on Saturday. About 20 cars and 30 people are still missing.
As part of its economic boom in recent decades, China built a vast network of highways, high-speed trains and airports, which have largely contributed to further growth.
However, the dramatic decline in economic growth, inadequate infrastructure, inadequate safety controls and the need for industry to cut costs have led to a steady increase in fatal industrial accidents.
China's western and southwestern provinces are particularly vulnerable to floods and landslides due to their mountainous terrain and the powerful rivers that flow through them.
Mining, tourism and increasing urbanization have also disrupted the precarious balance of the natural environment that has existed for thousands of years.
Shaanxi is best known as one of the centers of Chinese civilization. It was here that the first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, emerged, leaving the famous Terracotta Army as his legacy outside the capital city of Xi'an, as part of a vast tomb complex that attracts numerous visitors every year.