A barge, fully loaded with sand, rammed into the Jiujiang Bridge in Foshan, south China’s Guangdong Province, on June 15, causing the collapse of a 200-meter-long section of the bridge. Nine people went missing as a result of the crash.
Video cameras show that the four vehicles crossing the bridge at the time of the accident dropped into the water. Seven people were in the vehicles, along with two bridge laborers working on the site. Seven bodies had been retrieved near the collapse site as of June 20 but their identity remained unconfirmed, according to local officials.
Initial investigation results say the captain should take major responsibilities, since the barge deviated from its navigation route in thick fog, and he took the wrong emergency measures after the collision.
The bridge, which is about 1,600 meters long, runs over the Xijiang River, connecting Foshan with neighboring Heshan City. |