China bridge collapse kills three

A section of a new bridge in China that was opened to traffic in November last year has collapsed, killing three people and injuring five others, according to state media.

A 100 m long ramp for the 15.4 km Yangmingtan Bridge in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, fell from a height of 30 m, bringing four trucks down with it.

Sun Qingde, deputy head of the construction committee of Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, is said to have confirmed that the ramp tilted to one side and crashed onto the ground at 5:30 am this morning local time.

The bridge, spanning the Songhua river, cost US$ 286 million and was constructed by China Railway First Group. This is the sixth major bridge collapse in China since July 2011, according to state media.