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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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
