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10th May 2021

China tourist left clinging to 100m-high bridge after glass panels smash

Claudia McInerney

The glass flooring smashed as the bad weather struck

A man was left clinging onto a suspension bridge in northeastern China after unexpected gale-force winds smashed the glass panels beneath him.

The tourist was making his way across the 100m-high bridge in the Piyan Mountain Area in Longjing on Saturday when the bridge was hit by strong winds, according to the local tourism department.

Several glass floor panels were shattered due to the extreme weather, leaving the tourist with no option but to hold onto the bridge until he was rescued thirty minutes later by police, firefighters, forestry and tourism officials.

According to state media, the man involved was unharmed after the incident but was sent to hospital to receive counselling.

Photos shared on the social media site Weibo showed the tourist clinging onto the railings on the bridge. The images have been viewed millions of times.

Many Weibo users reacted to images shared online.

One user said: “So many glass-deck bridges have been built in recent years and are very popular with tourists. But how can we ensure their safety?”

The city’s local government was reportedly set to carry out a ‘comprehensive safety inspection’ of the tourist attractions in the area, the Mirror reported.

The Piyan Mountain resort has been temporarily closed pending investigation following Saturday’s incident.