Terror at 3,500 feet as glass walkway in China cracks
A newly opened glass walkway, suspended 3,500 feet above a canyon in central China, cracked Monday to the terror of thrill-seeking tourists.
The 1,300-foot-long glass-bottom walkway is built along Yuntai Mountain Scenic Park in Henan Province, China.
The walkway is currently closed for repairs after a panel of glass along the walkway fractured, China's People Daily Online reported.
The incident was caused by a sharp object falling on the glass, according to a statement from Yuntai Mountain Tourism Administration. The bridge is made of three planes of tempered glass, and only the top pane was cracked, according to the association.
According to the outlet, a park official said the fractured glass "does not affect safety," though tourists and many on social media disagreed. On Weibo, often called "Chinese Twitter," many said park officials were downplaying the severity of the incident.
"Yuntaishan glass broken plankfloor not a serious break? ... What ... an international joke," a man wrote. Another said "people risked their lives" to travel to the bridge.
Officials noted that similar incidents have happened in other glass-bottom structures, like London's Tower Bridge in England and Chicago's Willis Tower in Illinois.
Glass-bottom structures have grown increasingly popular in China, though many tourists may be rethinking their journey across glass bridges after Monday's incident.
Another glass-bottom bridge in the Shiniuzhai National Geological Park opened last week. The Haohan Qiao bridge, which means "brave men's bridge" in English, is a mere 590 feet off the ground. Another glass-bottom bridge is set to open in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon area, CNN reported.
Photos: Feeling brave? See glass-bottom walkways and viewing platforms
The incident happened during one of the busiest tourist events of the year, according to People's Daily Online. Millions of tourists made trips around the country to celebrate China's week-long National Day getaway.
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