The Chaobaihe Bridge in Beijing's Shunyi District, photographed on April 23, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

On Wednesday evening, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport released a statement on its official WeChat account, indicating that the preliminary analysis of the Chaobaihe Bridge structure damage in Shunyi district indicated that it was caused by a cable fire. 

It said that the direct cause was a fire in trench-laid cables, leading to the fracture of the bridge's tie rods. This triggered a chain reaction that caused the suspender rods to break, resulting in the structural load-bearing failure of the bridge and the collapse of its main span, said the statement.

The specific causes will be further confirmed after comprehensive testing and investigation, according to the statement.

Following the incident, according to the commission, the Beijing Municipal Government has established a task force to investigate the accident. Citywide inspections of externally attached cables on all bridges will be conducted immediately to identify potential hazards.

A fire broke out on the Chaobaihe Bridge on Wednesday morning, causing damage to the bridge structure. Traffic has been blocked in both directions to ensure safety, according to the commission.

The post from the commission on China's social media Sina Weibo said that the flames have since been extinguished, with no reported casualties or vehicle damage. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

Traffic authorities have implemented detour measures to manage the flow of vehicles. Drivers are advised to use alternative routes via Shunping auxiliary road or Shunping south road, said the post.

On Wednesday morning, the commission said that emergency response teams, including transportation, firefighting, traffic police, and local authorities, were immediately dispatched to the scene. Efforts are underway to extinguish the fire and manage traffic, with no casualties reported so far.

Later, the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau said on Weibo that temporary construction is currently underway on the Chaobaihe Bridge section of Shunping Road.

Global Times