Making something as important as bridges out of glass might not be the best of ideas as the material is very brittle. Though reinforced glass is very strong, it still isn’t durable enough as stainless steel. But making a bridge high up out of glass is sure to attract many thrill-seekers and that is exactly why this man was walking on this glass bridge before it shattered due to very strong winds.
The bridge in question is based in a resort at the Piyan Mountains, near the province of Jilin in northeastern China. It is a very popular tourist spot, especially because of glass made bridge that imparts a sense of thrill to anyone who steps foot on it. However, last Friday, due to strong, almost hurricane-like winds, the bridge shattered leaving a man stranded in the middle.
The bridge was 100m high and it didn’t take much time for the man to realize that he could die if he fell from the bridge. The realization almost made his knees give in as he remained stranded there for quite a while. However, he was able to muster his courage and eventually crawl back to safety. A picture was even shared on social media showing a before and after view of the bridge.
The bridge shattered due to winds that blew as fast as 92 mph which is almost the same as a category 1 hurricane. The tourist luckily is now out of danger. He was taken to a hospital as soon as he reached safety and after initial checkups, the Chinese media reported that he was in a “stable emotional and physical condition”.
This isn’t the only glass bridge in the Jilin region as glass bridges are the area’s most sought-after attraction. Some bridges even have special effects that make it seem like the glass is cracking below your feet. Still, this adds more to the thrill factor, attracting even more tourists to the region which funnels in a lot of capital. You can take a look at them below.
However, this glass bridge shattering isn’t an isolated incident. Many people have been injured over the years due to glass bridges all over the country.
In 2019, someone died and six others suffered injuries when they fell from a glass slide in Guangxi province. And, in 2016, another tourist suffered injuries from falling rocks while walking across a glass walkway in Zhangjiajie city. Some local governments have even stopped building more glass bridges.
Imagine standing on a bridge and it starts cracking but you do nothing thinking that it’s a special effect. Yikes!