Bridge snaps in half in deadly cargo ship crash in southern China

At least five people are dead and a crew member is injured after a cargo ship rammed into a bridge in southern China, cutting the structure in half, Chinese state media reports.

The maritime search and rescue centre in Guangzhou said two vehicles fell into the water and three others landed on the vessel after it crashed into the Lixinsha Bridge in the southern part of the city in the Pearl River Delta today, according to the official Weibo account of Guangzhou Nansha District.

Dramatic photographs of the aftermath showed the bridge split in two with the large stricken ship stationary under the structure. Police vessels were also seen at the scene.

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Two people were pulled to safety after the collision, state-run news outlet the People's Daily reported. A rescue operation was ongoing, it said.

The Lixinsha Bridge is located in Guangzhou's Nansha district, a major international shipping hub in the megacity.

Reinforcement work on the bridge due to structural concerns had been repeatedly postponed in recent years, state-run broadcaster CCTV reported.