Cargo ship fractures bridge in Guangzhou, southern China, sending vehicles into the water below

Breaking | Cargo ship fractures bridge in Guangzhou, southern China, sending vehicles into the water below

A cargo ship rammed into a bridge over the Pearl River in the city of Guangzhou, southern China on Thursday morning, sending vehicles into the water below.

Authorities are on the scene managing traffic and investigating, but details of casualties remain uncertain.

The cargo ship was travelling from Foshan’s Nanhai district towards Nansha in Guangzhou, southern China., Photo: X/whyyoutouzhele

Images shown on state broadcaster CCTV show the Lixinsha bridge in the city’s Nansha district fractured, with the ship apparently jammed beneath the structure.

The bridge, which connects Guangzhou to other Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities like Zhongshan and Shenzhen, was strengthened in 2022.

According to a notice from the city’s maritime safety administration, anti-collision and strengthening works took place from April to September that year.

Nansha – at the southern tip of the city in Guangdong province – is seen as a key zone for technological development in the GBA, the government scheme to integrate 11 southern Chinese cities into an economic powerhouse.

The ship was on its way to Nansha from Foshan’s Nanhai district.

More to follow…