A cargo ship in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou rammed into a bridge, plunging five vehicles including a public bus into the river and killing two people in the process early Thursday.
Three people are still missing, state media said.
Visuals showed a section of the bridge fractured, with the ship trapped under it. The vessel did not appear to be carrying cargo.
The incident happened at 05:30 local time, a BBC report citing local media said.
The ship's captain has been detained and people residing in the vicinity have reportedly been evacuated
The bridge was due for upgrades but plans were deferred three times, reports said.
In October 2021, provincial authorities had identified the need to construct "collision avoidance facilities" to ensure the bridge's structural safety, the BBC report mentioned.
The revamp was initially scheduled for completion in September 2022, but the deadline was extended first to August 2023, and later to August this year.
Guangzhou lies on the Pearl River delta and one is of the busiest seaports in mainland China.
Nansha, the district where the incident took place, is the fastest-growing port in southern China, with cargo volumes increasing every year since it opened in 2004.
