Mainland authorities said the bodies of three people who went missing after a container barge hit a bridge in Guangzhou on Thursday morning were found, bringing the confirmed death toll to five.

State media reported that three others were injured and treated in hospital.

In a statement on its social media account, the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration said the barge was heading from Foshan city to a southern district of Guangzhou, when it crashed into the bridge at 5.30am.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that four vehicles and an electric motorbike fell off the bridge. Two vehicles, which included a bus, plunged into the water and the three other vehicles ended up on the barge.

Images on CCTV showed part of the bridge's two-lane road deck missing. All road traffic on the bridge was halted. (Additional reporting by Xinhua/Reuters)