SHENYANG, June 11 (Xinhuanet) -- To truck driver Kan Jianyong, a native of Dawa County in Panjin City of northeast China's Liaoning Province, this Thursday, when he survived a major bridge collapse,was a day of sheer luck.

    The 500-meter-long Tianzhuangtai Bridge over the Liaohe River, connecting Panjin and Yingkou, two cities in Liaoning suddenly collapsed at 7:02 a.m. on Thursday, plunging three motor vehicles including Kan's truck into the river.

    At present, only Kan and Han Shuwen, a relative of Kan, have returned alive from the accident.

    Kan said he planned to stock merchandise in Yingkou via Panjin that day so he took the Tianzhuangtai Bridge as usual.

    "When I was crossing the middle of the bridge, I felt my body and truck shake somewhat, then fell off into the river just like riding in a downward elevator," recalled Kan.

    Kan successfully crawled out of his truck from the window whichwas left open because of hot weather. The former army soldier thenswam toward a pier, but when he spotted Han Shuwen, who was then floating in the water as she could not swim, he attempted to save her.

    Both Kan and Han were later rescued by villagers who live nearby.

    Kan, now in stable condition and good spirit, is still receiving medical treatment at the Central Hospital of Yingkou City. However, Han, who can not speak normally at the moment, expresses aches in her front chest and back and shows symptoms including difficulty breathing and vomiting.

    According to medical doctors, Han's condition is still not stable, so she needs further observation.

    In the meantime, rescue operation on the Liaohe River has been carried out with great difficulty because of a number of factors, including the river's water depth, which ranges 10 meters to 14 meters, and the impact of tide as the incident took place near an estuary.

    A total of 21 salvaging professionals were specially invited from the Navy stationed in Dalian, a port city in Liaoning, to give a helping hand in the rescue operation, according to an official in charge of the rescue operation.

    By press time, all the rescuers are still searching for those aboard the two other vehicles that plunged into the river.

    But the number of persons on board the two vehicles is not yet available.

    Initial investigation showed that a snapped girder between the 14th and 15th holes is the reason behind the collapse of the bridge, which was opened to traffic in 1977. Enditem