At least 11 people have died and dozens remain missing after a highway bridge collapsed in northwest China.
President Xi Jinping has called for a full-scale rescue operation following the disaster in Shaanxi province, which came in the wake of severe storms and flooding.
According to state-run Xinhua News Agency, rescue efforts continue in Zhashui county, where approximately 20 cars and 30 people remain missing.
Five vehicles that plunged from the bridge have been recovered since the structure gave way on Friday at about 8.40pm local time.
Xinhua has released a photograph showing a section of the bridge snapped and tilted at an almost 90-degree angle into the surging waters below.
The national fire and rescue authority reports deploying a substantial rescue team to the site, comprising 859 personnel, 90 vehicles, 20 boats and 41 drones.
China's rapid economic growth in recent decades saw the construction of a vast network of motorways, high-speed railways and airports.
However, the country's slowing economy, coupled with poor-quality infrastructure, lax safety oversight and cost-cutting measures, has led to a series of deadly industrial accidents.
The western and south-western provinces are particularly vulnerable to flooding and landslides due to their mountainous terrain and powerful rivers. Increased mining, tourism and urbanisation have further disrupted the delicate balance with the natural environment maintained over millennia.
Shaanxi province, where the bridge collapse occurred, is renowned as a cradle of Chinese civilisation. It is the birthplace of China's first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, whose legacy includes the famous terracotta army near Xi'an, part of a vast tomb complex that draws millions of visitors annually.
