New glass bridge in China cracks, causes mass panic

New glass bridge in China cracks, causes mass panic

SINGAPORE - Barely a month after a new glass bridge opened at Yuntai Mountain scenic area in China's Henan province, a section of the walkway cracked on Monday, causing mass panic among visitors.

According to Apple Daily, online social media postings by netizens claim that cracks were seen in the glass-bottomed bridge.

User "Li Dong Hai Shou Chi Zha Ni Hao Wo De Ai" wrote on Weibo: "I witnessed a historical moment. Yuntaishan glass bridge just cracked, just when I was at the end, I heard a loud 'crack', and the bridge shook beneath my feet."

The netizen said that he didn't know what caused the glass to crack but at that moment, everyone started screaming. He started yelling "it's really cracking!" before the people in front of him started running.

A spokesperson for the Yuntai Mountain tourism bureau told People's Daily Online that the cracks occurred after a tourist dropped a stainless steel mug on the walkway.

The 300-metre long bridge is closed until further notice.

Dangling 180 metres above a gorge at Shiniuzhai National Geo-park in Pinging county, the bridge is the world's highest all-glass suspension bridge.

It officially opened to tourists on Sept 24.

Named Brave Men's Bridge, each of the glass panes installed on the bridge is 24 millimetres thick and 25 times stronger than normal glass, reported CNN.

The man-made marvel is reportedly the latest in a series of glass-floored attractions to open in China, CNN added.

Another glass bridge is expected to open later this year in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon area, measuring a jaw-dropping 430 meters long and 300 meters high.

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klim@sph.com.sg

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