A Chinese trucker had a lucky escape after a bridge collapsed as he drove over it.

The driver was in a Chinese owned tanker which had been delivering fuel in Vientiane, Laos, yesterday morning (June 2).

However, the rusty old metal bridge gave way when it tried to cross shortly before 7:30am.

Shocking pictures show the state of the wreckage after the vehicle plunged more than 40ft into the ravine below.

Miraculously, the driver survived and was pulled out of the cab and was alive. He was taken to hospital for treatment.

Resident Puk Sihavong said: ''The crash happened near to my home. I heard the loud noise and many people went to look.

''The injured driver was Chinese and he was alive.''

Council officials arrived at the scene of the crash later in the afternoon to assess the damage and plan how to retrieve the vehicle, which was empty at the time.

Laos is a Communist-ruled country in Southeast Asia that has borders with Thailand, Burma, China, Vietnam and Cambodia.