Chinese authorities are conducting an extensive search for four crewmembers who went missing after a vessel collided with a bridge and sank in the Xijian River. Seven of the 11 crew members on board were successfully rescued overnight.
This incident bears a striking resemblance to a previous accident in 2007, during which at least nine people lost their lives in a similar situation.
An unidentified ship carrying 4,900 tonnes of rolled steel was navigating the river between Fuzhou and Heshan. The region has been grappling with heavy rainfall and flooding since the weekend.
According to state media reports, at least 10 people are missing due to the floods, and four fatalities have been confirmed. Additionally, authorities have relocated 110,000 residents in Guangdong province as a precautionary measure against the ongoing floods.
At approximately 9:20 p.m. local time, the ship collided with one of the bridge pillars, causing the cargo hold to flood. Although the vessel initially ran aground, it eventually sank into the river around 11:40 p.m.
The river in question is a significant tributary of the Pearl River. Tragically, the crewmembers were swept into the swollen river during the incident.
The Jiujian Bridge, spanning an impressive 1,682 meters (over 1 mile), gained fame as the Asia-Pacific region’s inaugural large prestressed concrete cable-stayed bridge. It officially opened its spans in 1988.
Following an inspection, authorities identified abrasions along the bridge pillar. As a result, Chinese officials promptly imposed traffic control restrictions on the river. Currently, the bridge is undergoing additional safety checks to assess its structural integrity.
The recent incident involving a vessel has been attributed to improper operation due to flooding from upstream and strong river currents. Interestingly, this situation bears a striking resemblance to a similar accident that occurred in June 2007.
Back then, a sand-loaded vessel collided with the Jiujiang Bridge, causing 150 meters (over 490 feet) of the bridge to collapse into the river. The vessel itself also sank, and four vehicles on the bridge plunged into the water. Nine people were reported missing.
Chinese authorities later determined that the sand barge had deviated from the main navigation channel and struck an auxiliary pillar, which could only withstand a 40-ton impact. As with today’s incident, they attributed the cause to a combination of flooding, strong currents, and incorrect vessel operation.
In February 2024, a small Chinese cargo ship operating in the same area collided with a bridge within the Pearl River system.
As a result, a section of the roadway collapsed onto the vessel, tragically claiming the lives of five people who were driving across the bridge.
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