Authorities deny remarks relating to fatal bridge collapse

Authorities in Harbin have denied that officals had previously said no contractors could be found to take possible responsiblity for a fatal bridge collapse.

A ramp on the multi-million-dollar bridge in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China, collapsed early Friday morning, causing four trucks to plunge 30 meters to the ground, killing three people and injuring five.

Following the collapse, there were claims on the internet that officials from the Harbin municipal commission of housing and urban-rural development said the bridge construction headquarters had dissolved and no contractors could be found.

On Saturday, Huang Yusheng, secretary general of the Harbin municipal government, denied there had been any such remarks.

Huang said the government had provided relevant materials from the designer, contractor and supervisor to the investigation team. After the investigation ends, names of the designer, contractor and supervisor will be made public, he told a press briefing.

On Friday, Huang suggested that overloading of some vehicles could be one of the possible causes for the accident. The remarks drew a fierce backlash from the public as many saw it as an attempt to shirk responsibility.

The collapse of the bridge, which cost 1.88 billion yuan (296 million U.S. dollars) and opened to traffic in November 2011, has also caused public outcry over the safety of public facilities and inadequate management and supervision by government agencies.