Rescuers search among the debris of a collapsed bridge in Fenghuang County, central China's Hunan Province. The resulting death toll had risen to 36 as of August 15.

The road bridge, which was being constructed over the Tuojiang River, suddenly collapsed on August 13, when more than 123 workers were at the site to dismantle the steel scaffolding.

Amid ongoing rescue work, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have asked relevant departments to organize an investigation team to look into the cause of the accident and find those responsible.

The bridge has an estimated investment of 12 million yuan ($1.6 million), and was expected to be complete this August.

The Tuojiang River bridge disaster came in the wake of the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis, the United States, which collapsed during rush hour on August 1, sending cars and their occupants plummeting into the river.