Tourist narrowly avoids death after glass-bottomed bridge shatters
A tourist has been rescued after becoming trapped on a 100-metre-high glass suspension bridge in China that shattered from gale-force winds.
Strong winds of up to 150 kilometres per hour tore pieces of glass decking from a suspension bridge built into a mountain on Friday, leaving a tourist clinging for his life.
According to The Straits Times, the tourist was able to crawl to safety guided by firefighters, police, forestry and tourism workers.
Though he sustained no injuries, the tourist was taken to hospital to receive psychological counselling.
Located on the Piyan Mountain in Longjing, China, the bridge is part of a growing trend in China’s mountain resorts, with reports indicating at least 60 similar glass suspension bridges had been built or were in the pipeline as of 2016.
Image source: iStock/GZMKS
The incident has sparked a fresh wave of concern in China about the safety of such bridges, with some calling for stricter regulations around how they are built.
“So many glass deck bridges have been built in recent years and are very popular with tourists. But how can we ensure their safety?” a user commented on Chinese social media, according to The Straits Times.
Technical standards have been released for the bridges by some local governments dictating where they can be built, with what materials and how many people can walk on them at a time, but there are reportedly few national standards.
Only some of the bridges are off-limits during bad weather.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
china glass bridge glass-bottomed bridge Longjing Piyan Mountain safety tourist windLatest News
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