China bridge collapse kills 22, dozens missing

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BEIJING, Aug 14 (AFP): A bridge under construction collapsed in China, leaving at least 22 dead and 44 missing, officials said Tuesday, amid warnings over the nation's old and poorly built infrastructure.
The 268-metre (885-foot) bridge over the Tuo river in central Hunan province crumbled Monday as workers were removing steel scaffolding erected during the construction process, the State Administration of Work Safety said.
The death toll from the tragedy stood at 22 Tuesday, with 44 missing and 22 injured, the administration said on its website.
Fifty-six workers were on top of the bridge when it collapsed, while many others had been working underneath, it said.
The injured were among 57 people rescued from the rubble.
Images of the scene on Chinese news websites and state television indicated the bridge had crumbled into the river, leaving a long stretch of huge concrete chunks resting on a bed of shattered rubble.
"It was unbelievable," one resident identified only by his surname, Jiang, was quoted as saying by a local newspaper.
"There were people crying everywhere and hundreds of people were trying to help the rescue effort," he said.
The work safety administration gave no reason for the collapse.
The official Xinhua news agency said the manager and supervisor of the bridge project were being held by police.