Beijing, Aug. 22 (BNA): Twelve workers were killed and four others went missing on Friday after a bridge under construction collapsed in Qinghai Province, northwest China, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

The accident occurred in the early morning hours when a steel cable snapped, causing a large section of the structure to fall from a great height into the Yellow River.

According to the People’s Daily, 15 workers and the project manager were on the site at the time. The bridge is part of the Sichuan–Qinghai railway line and is being built as the world’s longest arch bridge with a double track lattice girder, the first of its kind over the Yellow River.

Hundreds of firefighters and police officers are taking part in search and rescue operations, Xinhua News Agency said.

China has experienced similar incidents at construction sites and factories, often linked to lapses in safety standards. In December, 13 people were reported missing after a collapse at a railway construction site in Shenzhen, southern China.

M.A.