Two individuals lost their lives following a collision between a barge and a bridge over the waterway in China’s Pearl River Delta near Guangzhou city.
The incident resulted in parts of the bridge breaking off, causing vehicles to plunge into the water, as reported by Chinese state media on Thursday.
According to the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration’s statement on their WeChat social media account, the barge was traveling from Foshan city to a southern district of Guangzhou when it collided with the bridge at 5:30 am (2130 GMT) in the Hongqili Waterway.
Images broadcasted on state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) depicted an empty container barge lodged between two columns of the Lixinsha Bridge, with a portion of the bridge’s two-lane road deck missing. All road traffic on the bridge came to a halt.
CCTV reported that four vehicles and an electric motorbike fell off the bridge.
Among them, two vehicles, including a bus, plunged into the water, while three other vehicles ended up on the barge.
The bus was occupied solely by its driver, who survived the incident but was unreachable for comment.
According to state media reports, two individuals succumbed to injuries from the incident, while one crew member sustained injuries and two others were rescued. Three individuals remain missing.
City authorities have dispatched emergency and rescue teams, including six divers and salvage vessels, to the scene, as reported by local media.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, and information regarding casualties is still being verified, stated the Guangzhou maritime administration. It advised ships and vehicles using the route to seek alternative paths.
Local officials informed the media that nearby residents have been evacuated, and the vessel owner has been detained by authorities, as reported by the Global Times.
Tihe Lixinsha Bridge serves as the primary transportation route for residents of Sanmin Island, with officials stating that a ferry remains available for residents’ travel needs.
Guangzhou, situated at the mouth of the Pearl River and serving as the capital of the prosperous southern Guangdong province, stands as one of China’s busiest maritime transportation and trading hubs.