China Cargo Ship Smashes Through Bridge in Guangzhou

A cargo ship hit Lixinsha bridge in Guangzhou, China on February 22, causing the bridge to break, as reported by China’s television broadcaster CCTV.

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 cause of the incident is under investigation, according to reports.

China’s national English language newspaper Global Times reported that a bridge in Nansha district, Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province was struck by a vessel last week, resulting in the breakage of the bridge structure and the fall of vehicles into the water.

Images from the national broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) showed the cargo ship trapped underneath the broken section of the bridge. It is believed that the vessel was not carrying any cargo.

In October 2021, provincial authorities had identified the need to construct “collision avoidance facilities” in order to reinforce the bridge, CCTV reported.

The deadline for these works to be completed was postponed three times, most recently to August this year, according to the report.