Accident in China: Fatalities reported as container ship collides with bridge

The container ship, Lianghui 688, was navigating a river between the cities of Foshan and Guangzhou in southern China. The state broadcaster CCTV, as quoted by AFP, stated that around 4:30 PM Eastern Time, on Thursday, February 22nd, the ship struck the Lixinsha bridge in Guangzhou.

The collision between the massive container ship and the bridge caused a section of the bridge to cave in. Vehicles that were on the bridge at the time of the incident plunged into the river or crashed onto the ship below.

Chinese media initially reported two deaths and three people missing. The most recent updates from the Guangzhou authorities reveal that the other three individuals have also been located. Regrettably, they were found deceased. Moreover, several injured people, which included a crew member from the ship, were rushed to hospitals. Their condition is currently stable.

Among the victims are a scooter driver, three individuals traveling in small delivery cars, and a bus driver, who was thankfully not transporting any passengers at the time of the accident.

The event that took place in China is nothing short of astonishing. As per the local media, the container ship ended up stuck at an odd angle between two bridge piers underneath the wreckage from the collapsed structure for numerous hours. The collision could likely be attributed to improper maneuvering by the ship's crew.

The owner of the ship has since been apprehended. Procedures to ascertain the precise circumstances of the event will soon commence.

Source: AFP