Five people died on Thursday after a collision in China between a cargo ship and a road bridge, causing part of the structure to collapse, according to state media.
The Guangzhou Maritime Affairs Office said that an empty container ship was traveling between Foshan and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province (south), when it collided with the bridge at around 5:30 am (Wednesday 9:30 pm GMT).
He said in a press release that the ship “collided with one of the pillars of the Leshincha Bridge,” causing the structure to “rupture the deck” and cause five vehicles to fall, either into the water or onto the boat below.
According to the latest report provided by public television CCTV, which quoted the Guangzhou Maritime Affairs Bureau, the bodies of three missing people were found “with no signs of life,” bringing the total death toll to five.
A previous report announced by the authorities reported the death of two people, in addition to the injury of one person among the ship’s crew, in addition to three missing people.
The channel said that all the dead were on board the vehicles that fell from the bridge: the driver of an empty minibus, the driver of an electric motorcycle and three people who were riding in small trucks.
CCTV, citing a statement made by authorities at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, said the accident was caused by an “inappropriate maneuver” by one or more crew members.
Images broadcast by CCTV earlier in the day showed rescuers wearing orange jumpsuits crossing a waterway in an inflatable boat towards the damaged bridge.
According to television, dozens of rescuers were sent to the scene, including some who came as reinforcements from the neighboring city of Shenzhen.
