A view of the collapsed bridge in Fenghuang County, Central China's Hunan Province, August 13, 2007. The bridge under construction collapsed on Monday afternoon, leaving 14 dead and 22 injured, local media reported. Some 65 workers are still missing as over 1,000 people are mobilized to conduct the rescue operation, according to The Beijing News. (China Foto Press)

    FENGHUANG, Hunan, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Death toll has risen to 20 with at least 39 others missing after a bridge in central China's Hunan Province collapsed Monday, rescuers said on Tuesday.

    A total of 123 workers were at the site when the bridge being built over the Tuo River in Fenghuang county collapsed at 4:40 p.m. on Monday, blocking the Fenghuang-Daxing highway.

    Of the 64 survivors, 22 were injured in the collapse and have been rushed to nearby hospitals, according to the local rescue headquarters.

    Construction of the 328-meter-long, 42-meter-high bridge was scheduled for completion this month and workers have been since mid July dismantling steel scaffolding erected during the construction process.

    The project, involving an estimated investment of 12 million yuan (1.6 million U.S. dollars), belongs to Fengda company based in Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in western Hunan, with the contractor of the provincial Road and Bridge Construction (Group) Ltd. Co. (RBC)

    Local police have put Xia Youjia, construction manager on behalf of RBC, and project supervisor Jiang Ping, under control for investigation.

    All technical data about the bridge have been sealed up for later examination.

    Fenghuang, located in western part of Hunan and a major habitat of Tujia and Miao ethnic minorities, is a famous tourist destination.

    A group of local officials in charge of construction, traffic and work safety supervision headed by the provincial governor Zhou Qiang and Vice-governor Xu Xianping have arrived at the site.