The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict on Oct. 8, 2023 had reached 2,897, with injuries up to 13,150, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Friday.
Fifty-two people were killed and 72 others injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on the city of Baalbek and surrounding towns and villages in eastern Lebanon, said the ministry.
Israeli forces have intensified their attacks on eastern Lebanon over the past days after issuing warnings to citizens, calling for the evacuation of entire cities, villages, and towns in the area.
Most of the casualties occurred in localities including Baalbek, Al-Alaq, Younine, Badnayel, Al-Bazaliyah, Amhaz, Iaat, Labweh, Harbata, Nahle, Taraya, and Hawsh An Nabi.
Since Sept. 23 this year, the Israeli army has conducted an intensive air attack on Lebanon, marking a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.
2,897 killed, 13,150 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon: health ministry
The Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) entered a new phase of marine construction on Monday morning, marked by the completion of the east tower's piling work of the Liuwudian Channel Bridge, a pivotal component of the project, in Xiamen of Fujian Province in east China.
The Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) spans 17.34 km and is designed to link the Xiamen island with the Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport that is currently under construction. The Liuwudian Channel Bridge is the province's first offshore suspension bridge and largest span bridge with a total length of 1,948 meters and a main span of 928 meters in length.
The pile foundation of the east bridge tower was completed on Monday after four months of work, while that of the west one is expected to finish at the end of this month.
Confronted with complex geological conditions and the challenge of transporting materials to the offshore construction site, the team newly built a large-scale mixing station and employed six rotary drilling rigs which operated around the clock.
With a total investment of 37.27 billion yuan (about 5.12 billion U.S. dollars), the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) will become the most efficient connection between the Xiamen island and the Xiang'an Airport. Once completed, it will ease traffic congestion and greatly enhance transport efficiency in the region.
The Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) started construction in October 2023, and is expected to be completed simultaneously with the Xiang'an Airport Expressway in 2026.
Kinmen is an important hub for interaction across the Taiwan Strait. Growing trade and commercial links between Kinmen and Xiamen have made the building of the bridge a common desire of many people in the region.
Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge enters marine construction stage
