Chinese Cargo Ship Hits Bridge Collapsing Roadway and Killing Five People
Chinese authorities are reporting that a small cargo ship traveling on the Hingqili near the industrial southern city of Guangzhou hit a bridge crossing the waterway causing a section of the roadway to collapse. At least five vehicles plunged off the bridge with the latest reports saying five people have been killed, two are being treated in the hospital, and a search of the river was continuing.
The unidentified vessel was reported to be traveling in the Pearl River delta between Foshan and Guangzhou when the side of the vessel struck one support pillar of the bridge. According to the maritime authorities, the vessel twisted with the bow then coming in contact with a second support pillar. The roadway section between the two supports collapsed.
They believe that three small trucks, a minibus, and a motorcycle all plunged off the bridge. The small bus, one of the vehicles, and the motorcycle plunged into the open hopper barge. The other two vehicles fell into the river.
Authorities are saying the accident happened at 5:30 a.m. local time which may have helped to limit the number of causalities. The small bus was reported to only have a driver aboard and the wreckage can be seen in pictures of the cargo ship as it was being taken away.
The authorities in a news conference after the accident blamed the accident on “improper operation” of the cargo vessel. They said the owner of the ship had been detained. One crewmember aboard the vessel was reported to have suffered minor injuries.
Chinese TV reported that six scuba divers were seen scouring the river. Multiple salvage ships were also in the area.
The two-lane Lixinsha Bridge connected a rural island area to the industrial city. Officials said at least 8,000 people, mostly farmers would be isolated on the island without the roadway. They were starting a temporary ferry service while an investigation was also underway into the cause of the accident.
Crane Ship Hit During Maintenance in
Rotterdam, Killing One
A working vessel hit a large crane ship in the Port of Rotterdam during repairs on Tuesday, knocking one worker into the water, according to local authorities. The individual remains missing and is presumed dead, according to local authorities.
The giant semisubmersible crane ship Saipem 7000 is currently moored in Rotterdam for maintenance, and had scaffolding erected on board. The pier is at a well-known repair yard in the Botlek, a densely built-up inner harbor district. The crane ship is located in a narrow basin, next to a moored jackup drilling rig.
Early Tuesday afternoon, as maintenance was under way, a vessel made contact with Saipem 7000, causing a worker to fall into the water. Local emergency services deployed several diving teams as well as sonar and ROV devices in an attempt to carry out a rescue. The effort shifted to search and recovery after one hour, and the victim has not been found.
AIS data provided by Pole Star appears to show that Saipem 7000 carried out several short-distance movements within the basin during this time period (1100-1500 hours local time), then returned to her original pier.
The cause of the accident is not currently known, but local authorities say that a multiagency investigation is expected to begin shortly.
Saipem 7000 is one of the world's largest crane ships, and can complete full installations of offshore developments, including topside placement and pipelay. It can lift up to 14,000 tonnes at a time with twin cranes, and it is DP3 enabled for propulsion and anchorless stationkeeping.
Top image: Saipem 7000 in 2006 (TeeGeNo / CC BY SA 30)
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