Container ship hits bridge in Chinese port

Two people were killed and three others missing after a boxship hit a bridge in Guangzhou in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong this morning (22 February).

Around 5.30 am, Liang Hui 688, a 2016-built 5,000 gt domestic Chinese container ship, reportedly hit the Lixinsha Bridge in Guangzhou’s Nansha district, causing the bridge to collapse partially. Consequently, four cars and one motorcycle fell through the gap; two vehicles plunged into the river and the other three dropped onto the ship.

At the time, Liang Hui 688, which was sailing from Foshan’s Nanhai district towards Nansha, was not carrying any containers.

The Liang Hui 688 is owned by Foshan Lianghui Shipping Service (a transliteration of the company’s Chinese name), which was established in March 2021 and is owned by Zhang Bingrong (60%) and Lin Yunfen (40%). Foshan Lianghui operates out of Foshan in Guangdong province.

Container News’ calls to Foshan Lianghui confirmed that the company owns and operates Liang Hui 688. A Foshan Lianghuit’s spokesperson said the accident is being investigated by the police and that the ship captain has been detained.

Beijing News, quoted an eyewitness, a crewman of a nearby vessel, as saying that he was awakened from his sleep by a loud sound, and he realised that the Lixinsha Bridge was damaged after seeing cars falling through the gap. Shortly after, the crewman said that Maritime Safety Administration personnel radioed nearby vessels, instructing them to approach the accident scene and deploy their life rafts. The crewman added that the navigational bridge of Liang Hui 688 was so badly impacted that it was out of shape.

Chinese authorities noted that two people were rescued, but did not indicate if they were crewmen or were in the fallen vehicles. A seafarer on Liang Hui 688 sustained minor injuries.

According to Chinese corporate information provider Tianyancha, Foshan Lianghui was fined CNY30,000 (US$4,200) in January, as the crew on Liang Hui 688 did not keep a proper lookout while navigating through narrow and busy waterways.

Martina Li
Asia Correspondent

Sources: Container News