China: Ship rams bridge, plunging cars into river in Guangzhou

A cargo ship rammed into a bridge in China, plunging vehicles into the river.CCTV

A cargo ship rammed into a bridge in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou early Thursday, plunging an unknown number of vehicles into the river.

Rescue efforts are under way but details of casualties are unconfirmed, state media report.

Images on broadcaster CCTV show a section of the bridge fractured, with the ship trapped under it. The vessel did not appear to be carrying cargo.

The incident happened at 05:30 local time (21:30 GMT) in the city’s south.

The bridge was due for upgrades but plans have been postponed three times, CCTV reported.

In October 2021, provincial authorities had identified the need to construct “collision avoidance facilities” to ensure the bridge’s structural safety.

The procedure was initially schedule to complete in September 2022, but the deadline was extended first to August 2023, and later to August this year.

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