BEIJING (NEWSnet/AP) — Five people died Thursday when a container ship hit support pillars for Lixinsha Bridge over a river in southern China, sending a section of the road and five vehicles crashing.
Three trucks, a bus and a scooter fell off the bridge south of Guangzhou, authorities said. The bus, the scooter and one of the trucks landed inside the empty ship. The other two trucks fell into the water.
One side of the ship hit a bridge support, then the bow hit another pillar, causing a section of the bridge deck to collapse.
Authorities blame the situation on “improper operation by the crew.”
The deceased include the bus driver, scooter-driver and three people in the trucks that entered the river, city officials said. There were no passengers on the bus.
The collapse also cut off water and access to an island that is home to about 8,000 people, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Temporary water lines and a ferry service were established for residents.
The bridge crosses a waterway near the mouth of Pearl River, inland from Hong Kong. The area is one of China’s biggest manufacturing and transport hubs and contains two of the world’s five busiest ports, according to World Shipping Council.
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