Construction info on collapsed bridge released

HARBIN - Authorities in northeastern Chinese city of Harbin have released the specific information about the designer, builder and supervisor of a collapsed bridge, from which four trucks plunged to the ground, killing three people and injuring five.

The municipal government of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, also disclosed details of the trucks at a press briefing on Monday.

A ramp on the viaduct that connects the main body of Yangmingtan Bridge in Harbin collapsed early Friday morning, causing four trucks to plunge about 30 meters to the ground.

The ramp was designed by Harbin Municipal Engineering Design Institute, constructed by Fujian Jiaojian Group Engineer Co, Ltd. and overlooked by Heilongjiang Baixin Construction Engineering Supervision Co, Ltd., said Huang Yusheng, secretary-general of the Harbin municipal government, at the press briefing.

Huang reiterated that the ramp had no direct relationship with the main body of the Yangmingtan Bridge.

He said the collapse of the ramp had little effect on the viaduct, where traffic had resumed.

Huang also disclosed that all four trucks were heavy-duty, but he did not clarify if they were overloaded when the accident happened.

On Friday, Huang suggested that the overloading of the vehicles could be one of the possible causes for the accident.

His words triggered a flurry of fiery and sarcastic comments by Internet users, complaining about shoddy construction and accusing the government of inadequate supervision.

The ramp was constructed within a period of 90 days at a cost of 7.09 million yuan ($1.13 million), according to Huang.

Of the five injured, Huang said one is still in critical condition while the other four are in stable condition.