Fifteen people died, three were injured and one remains missing after a 170-metre-high bridge collapsed on Saturday afternoon in Wuchuan County, Zunyi, a city in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The bridge, which was under construction, collapsed suddenly at around 2 PM.

Nineteen workers fell with the bridge and were buried beneath debris from the collapsed structure.

Five workers were sent to the county hospital where two died, said Liu Qi, a doctor at the hospital.

Of the three others wounded, Tan Po, 26, underwent brain surgery on Saturday, and was still in a serious condition, Liu said.

Ding Chenghe, 46, and Chen Chaoyun, 48, suffered broken bones but are stable, he added.

Bodies of 13 other victims were found by rescuers, with one still missing, according to Wang Feng, a senior officer with the local public security bureau, which has been in charge of search and rescue since the accident.

The cause of the bridge collapse is still under investigation.

(China Daily November 7, 2005)