Two Dead After Ship Collides with Bridge near Guangzhou, China

Chinese state media reported today, Thursday, that two people were killed after a ship collided with a bridge over a waterway in the Pearl River Delta near Guangzhou, resulting in a section of the bridge collapsing and vehicles falling into the water. The Guangzhou maritime safety administration stated in a post on its WeChat account that the ship was traveling from Foshan to an area south of Guangzhou when it struck the bridge at around 5:30 AM today (21:30 Wednesday GMT) in the Hongqili waterway. Four vehicles and a motorcycle fell from the bridge. China Central Television reported that two vehicles, including a bus, fell into the water while three vehicles landed on the ship. Only the driver was on board the bus, and it is unclear if they survived. Official media reported that two people were killed in the incident, one crew member was injured, and two others were rescued, while three remain missing. Local media indicated that city authorities dispatched emergency and rescue teams, including six divers and rescue boats, to the scene. The Guangzhou navigation administration stated that authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident and that information regarding the victims is still being verified. The administration advised ships and vehicles using that route to take alternative paths. The Global Times cited local officials saying that residents in the surrounding area had been evacuated and that the owner of the ship had been arrested.