Container Ship Strikes Bridge in China: Two Dead, Three Missing

On the morning of February 22, 2024, a container ship named Liang Hui 688 in Guangzhou, Guangdong province struck the Lixinsha Bridge, resulting in two deaths and three missing persons. The ship's impact caused a section of the bridge to collapse, leading to four cars and one motorcycle falling from the bridge; two vehicles fell into the river, while the other three fell onto the ship. At the time of the collision, Liang Hui 688 was not carrying any containers.

Liang Hui 688 is a domestically produced Chinese container vessel built in 2016 with a displacement of 5,000 gt. The ship is operated by Foshan Lianghui Shipping Service, a company established in March 2021 and owned by Zhang Bingrong (60%) and Lin Yunfen (40%). Foshan Lianghui operates in the city of Foshan, Guangdong.

Following the accident, the ship's captain was detained and a police investigation was launched. A crew member of a nearby vessel who witnessed the incident reported being awakened by a loud noise and discovering the damage to Lixinsha Bridge when vehicles fell into the void. Additionally, the navigation bridge of Liang Hui 688 suffered severe damage.

Chinese authorities confirmed that two people were rescued, though they did not specify whether they were crew members or persons from the fallen vehicles. One sailor aboard Liang Hui 688 sustained minor injuries. Foshan Lianghui was fined 30,000 CNY (approximately 4,200 USD) in January by Tianyancha for failure to conduct proper supervision in narrow and congested waterways.

Key Points

• The accident occurred on February 22, 2024 in Guangzhou.

• The Liang Hui 688 struck the Lixinsha Bridge; the bridge partially collapsed.

• Two people died, three are missing.

• The ship was not carrying containers at the time of the accident.

• The ship's owner, Foshan Lianghui, was established in 2021.

• The ship's captain was detained; the accident is under investigation.

• The navigation bridge of Liang Hui 688 suffered severe damage.

• The company was fined in January for failure to conduct proper supervision.

Youtube Video Link: Video shows partial bridge collapse after ship collision in China