At around 10 a.m. on October 13, a footbridge at the West Sea Scenic Area of Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi collapsed, causing dozens of tourists to fall into the water. Due to the large number of visitors over the weekend and lagging management at the scenic site, the overloaded bridge gave way. The aftermath was chaotic, with many tourists suffering damage to their phones, cameras, and other belongings. No casualties have been reported. (Image source: China News Service)
Around 10 a.m. yesterday, a bridge deck collapse occurred at the Sima Tourist Wharf in the Lushan West Sea Scenic Area in Jiangxi, resulting in 18 tourists being either scratched or falling into the water. The scenic area stated that it has provided effective treatment and proper arrangements for the injured or affected tourists and has registered the losses of their belongings.
>> Incident
Bridge collapses as too many tourists cross
Yesterday morning, netizens reported that a footbridge at the Lushan West Sea Scenic Area in Jiangxi had collapsed, leaving nearly 100 tourists in the water, quickly drawing widespread reposts and attention online.
Last night, official media Weibo accounts released footage of the scene. In the video, a roughly 10-meter-long footbridge spans the water, connecting the riverbank to the wharf. For the first 12 seconds of the video, only a few pedestrians are seen crossing the bridge. But starting at the 13th second, a large group of tourists suddenly walks onto the bridge together, quickly filling it up. This situation lasts for 50 seconds before the middle of the bridge suddenly gives way. At that moment, many tourists are still on the bridge, and several standing near or on the broken section fall into the water. Other tourists who remain on the unaffected parts of the bridge quickly evacuate to both ends.
>> Rescue
Multiple staff jump into water to save people
The video shows that just over 10 seconds after the bridge collapsed, on-site staff rushed to the broken section, reaching out to pull those in the water. Nearly 10 yellow lifebuoys were thrown into the water, while several staff members jumped in to conduct rescues. Others brought over connected floatation tubes by boat to help pull tourists to safety.
According to a report by the Jiangxi Daily’s official Weibo account, yesterday, He Xinmin, a resident of Gongqingcheng over 60 years old, was visiting the Lushan West Sea with his family when the bridge collapsed unexpectedly. His 6-year-old grandson fell into the water, but the swimming-loving grandpa saved his grandson and then rescued three others. Upon learning of this, the Lushan West Sea Management Committee said they would offer He lifetime free admission to the West Sea, but he declined, saying it was just the right thing to do. A publicity officer from the scenic area’s management committee told the Beijing Times that they weren’t certain of the details, but if the news was circulating, it was likely true.
The officer explained that after the incident, relevant personnel immediately joined the rescue efforts, and the main leaders of the scenic area also arrived at the scene as soon as possible to direct operations.
>> Official Notice
Collapsed wharf was in trial phase; 18 tourists scratched or fell in water
The aforementioned officer told the Beijing Times that the incident occurred at the Sima Tourist Wharf in the West Sea Scenic Area, which had begun operations on September 26 of this year and was still in a trial phase, having also withstood the challenges of the Golden Week holiday.
The officer said that around 10 a.m. yesterday, tourist numbers at the wharf peaked. On the bridge leading to the boarding area, some tourists ignored staff guidance and forcibly rushed onto the footbridge. The overcrowding and severe overcapacity caused the guardrails of the boarding passage and the bridge deck to twist and eventually collapse, resulting in 18 tourists being scratched or falling into the water.
>> Aftermath
Tourists’ losses to be compensated
According to the scenic area management committee’s notice, after the incident, the committee promptly sent injured tourists to the on-site medical clinic for examination and treatment, provided clothes for them to change into, and worked to calm their emotions.
Additionally, yesterday afternoon, the scenic area arranged for staff to tally tourists’ property losses. The exact amount is still being calculated. “The scenic area will definitely properly handle compensation issues,” a publicity officer from the management committee said.
There are other routes to the boarding area besides the bridge that collapsed. The damaged bridge has been removed, and it is unclear whether it will be repaired for continued use or replaced with a new one, the officer noted.
Regarding the incident, a responsible person from the Lushan West Sea Scenic Area stated that the specific cause is under investigation.
>> Cause Investigation
Bridge deck designed to hold only 15 people at a time
Information released by the scenic area did not disclose the material used for the collapsed bridge deck and railings. The aforementioned officer said the bridge was only meant to allow 15 people to pass at once. There were safety officers at the scene guiding visitors, but too many tourists ignored their directions, even knocking them down as they forced their way onto the bridge. “Many tourists couldn’t wait and rushed forward all at once,” the officer said, and the bridge ultimately could not withstand the load and collapsed.
Authorities deny bridge had quality issues
Yesterday, some media outlets online claimed the collapsed bridge had not passed inspection. However, the aforementioned officer responded that the scenic area’s construction projects strictly followed approval procedures. “I don’t know where the media got their information. During the National Day holiday, the Lushan West Sea Scenic Area received over 168,000 visitors, with a single-day peak of 31,200. All those people passed through safely—this shows the incident had nothing to do with bridge quality.”
Official reports indicate that the incident resulted in a total of 18 tourists being scratched or falling into the water, all of whom received effective treatment and proper care. Other frightened tourists were also comforted effectively and are now emotionally stable.
Double the visitors on Chongyang Festival due to free admission
Staff said that yesterday was Chongyang Festival, and entry was free for tourists with a Jiujiang household registration. By noon, the number of visitors who toured the lake and visited the islands had reached over 5,560, marking a 73.78% increase compared to the total number of lake area visitors on Chongyang Festival last year. The site was caught off guard by such a large influx of visitors.