Bridge collapse accident site in central China

 Wang Baixing, China's renowned bomb-disposal expert, receives interview at the bridge collapse accident site in Mianchi County, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 2, 2013. A part of the expressway viaduct collapsed on Friday morning in an explosion of a truck-load of fireworks. Ten people died and 11 others were injured in the accident. The expressway viaduct, with bidirectional four lanes, opened to traffic in 2001 after three years of construction. The last test in 2011 revealed no safety risks. Li Qiang, chief engineer of Henan Provincial Transportation Department, said that the bridge had passed biennially and monthly inspections and was up to the standards of the national expressway viaduct. In face of the public concerns, Wang Baixing, China's renowned bomb-disposal expert, said the power of the blast on the truck that carried fireworks and firecrackers was equivalent to one ton of explosive and explained that the explosion occurred on special part of the viaduct, blowing off the upper structure of the bridge and pulling down one of its piers. (Xinhua/Zhao Peng)