State Council oversees probe into Xinjiang suspension bridge accident

BEIJING -- The Office of the Work Safety Commission under China's State Council has set up a working group to guide on-site response and investigation into a suspension bridge accident in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which left five dead and 24 injured, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Thursday.

The working group, formed by the office in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, was dispatched to the scene of the accident in northern Xinjiang's Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture.

The accident occurred at 6:18 pm on Wednesday in Zhaosu county of Ili, when one of the bridge's suspension cables snapped, causing the bridge deck to tilt. A total of 29 people fell from the bridge.

The team will offer guidance to the local authorities on the treatment of the injured and the accident investigation.

Relevant parties have been urged to draw lessons from the accident, promptly determine its cause, and strengthen safety oversight measures to resolutely prevent similar accidents in the future.