A merchant ship collided, causing part of a bridge to collapse: several vehicles fell into the void and five died

A tragedy occurred south of the city of Guangzhou, China, where five people died after a large container ship will collide during this Thursday morning.

The boat crash occurred against one of the support pillars of a bridge which caused a section of the highway collapses and five vehicles fall into the void.

The official report states that three small trucks, a minibus and a motorcycle fell from the bridge lixinsha around 5:30 am (local time), after the collision of the merchant ship which caused part of the structure to collapse.

The minibus, the motorbike and one of the trucks fell onto the boat and the others two vehicles ended up directly in the water.

Among the victims are the bus driver and the passenger of the scooter, as well as three occupants of the trucks who fell directly into the water, as confirmed by the municipal authorities. Furthermore, it was reported that in the minibus no passengers were traveling.

Two injured people were treated at a clinic in the area and “are in good condition out of danger“, as reported. Additionally, one member of the ship’s crew suffered minor injuries and only required treatment at the scene.

The local media reported it The side of the ship hit one of the infrastructure supports and the bow then collided with another pillar.which caused a section of the bridge deck to collapse.

The city authorities justified the accident with a “inadequate crew maneuver”. However, there is still no official news of what happened inside the ship to cause the collision with the bridge pylons.

The collapse of the Lixinsha Bridge also interrupted the water supply and access to an island where about 8,000 people live, mostly farmers, state television CCTV reported. For the moment, temporary aqueducts and a ferry service have been set up for residents.

It was also reported that at that time the vessel that had carried out the bad maneuver had been removed from the site and that navigation in the sector had returned to normal.

Where is the bridge located?

The collapsed bridge crosses a stream near the mouth of the Pearl River, facing Hong Kong.

The area is one of China’s largest manufacturing and shipping centers and is home to two of the five busiest ports in the world, according to the World Shipping Council.

Meanwhile, according to the Chinese press, the authorities have arrested the owner of the container ship. They explained that the bridge strengthening work, which included collision protection around some pillars, was completed in 2022.

Initial reports indicated that the renovation work had been delayed, but officials implied that the project spanned several bridges and that the delays did not affect the Lixinsha Bridge.