Container ship hits bridge in Chinese city, two killed
Beijing (PTI): Two people were killed, three others listed as missing and five vehicles fell off when a section of a bridge collapsed after it was hit by a container ship in China's Guangzhou city on Thursday.
The accident took place in the early hours when a pier of the Lixinsha Bridge was hit by an empty container ship which led to collapse of part of the beam in the Nansha district of Guangzhou, 90-odd km northwest of Hong Kong.
The captain of the cargo ship has been arrested, Beijing News reported.
Of the five vehicles, including a bus and a motorbike that fell off the bridge, two plunged into the river and the others fell onto the vessel, a preliminary investigation has found, official media here reported.
Lixinsha Bridge on the Hongqili Waterway is the main transportation route for residents of Sanmin Island.
Currently, the cause of the accident and the extent of casualties are being investigated, state-run Global Times reported.
The Guangzhou bus company said one of its drivers was alone in his vehicle when it fell off the bridge. Rescue teams are on the scene but details of other casualties remain uncertain.
Footage carried by state broadcaster CCTV showed a partially collapsed bridge, with the empty ship jammed beneath the structure.
With the gaping breach in the span after the incident, the bridge was closed to traffic.
Zhong Weihong, the village Party secretary of Minjian village on the island, told reporters that there was an option of a ferry available for residents to travel.
❗⚓🇨🇳 - More images of the cargo ship that demolished part of a bridge in the city of Guangzhou, reports Xinhua in China.
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformantofc) February 22, 2024
Several cars fell into the water and there is still no official information about casualties. pic.twitter.com/WTS09Dqxfj
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Attacks on Christians contradict PM's message of harmony, visit to church: Gehlot
Jaipur (PTI): Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday expressed concern over the reported attacks and disruptions in prayer gatherings of the Christian community in different parts of the country, saying such incidents were "worrying and condemnable".
In a post on X, Gehlot said that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting a church and giving a message of peace and harmony, news of attacks on members of the Christian community from various regions reflected a serious contradiction.
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"Symbolic gestures would not be enough, and strict legal action was required against those spreading hatred," the senior Congress leader said.
He added that Indian culture has always upheld the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", where every citizen has full freedom to practise their faith.
Gehlot urged the Centre and state governments to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no citizen is forced to celebrate their festival under fear.
