Two people have died and three others are missing after a part of a bridge in Guangzhou broke off, state media reported on Thursday.

The Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration said in a statement the ship was travelling from the city of Foshan to a southern district of Guangzhou when it crashed into the bridge at 5.30am. The collision caused part of the structure to break off and some vehicles to plunge into the water, broadcaster CCTV reported.

Other media outlets have reported that two people have been rescued and that the barge captain had been detained.

Images on CCTV showed an empty container barge lodged between two columns of the Lixinsha Bridge with part of the structure's two-lane road deck missing. All road traffic on the bridge was halted.

In its statement on their WeChat social media account, the administration advised ships and vehicles using the route to make detours.

Guangzhou is one of the nation's busiest maritime transportation and trading hubs. (Additional reporting by Reuters)
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Last updated: 2024-02-22 HKT 12:12