2024 Lixinsha Bridge collapse explained

2024 Lixinsha Bridge collapse
Date:22 February 2024
Location:Lixinsha Bridge, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Type:Bridge collapse
Reported Deaths:5
Reported Injuries:3
Coordinates:22.654°N 113.551°W

On 22 February 2024, a barge collided with the Lixinsha Bridge in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, causing a portion of the bridge to collapse. Two vehicles plunged into the river and three others fell onto the barge, leaving five dead and three others injured.[1]

Background

Guangzhou, on the delta of the Pearl River is one of China’s busiest seaports. The Lixinsha Bridge is located in the Nansha district was at the time the fastest growing port of southern China.

Local authorities said that reinforcement work, including constructing "collision avoidance facilities" at four bridge piers, had been completed in 2022.

Event

At around 5:30 a.m. local time, a barge carrying only the operator first grazed the 18th bridge pier and then collided with the 19th bridge pier of the Lixinsha Bridge.[2] A section of the bridge fractured, causing a portion of the bridge to fall into the water. The ship was trapped below it.

At least five vehicles fell into the water and onto the barge, leaving five people dead and three others wounded. The vehicles in the collapse included an electric motorbike and a public bus carrying only the driver.[3]

The people who died were the driver of the bus; the driver of the scooter and three people in the trucks that fell into the river.[4]

Rescue and recovery

China Rescue and Salvage Bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Transport dispatched its rescue team members and vehicles from its rescue base in Guangzhou to carry out search and rescue operation. From the Shenzhen rescue base, a high-speed rescue boat "Nanhai Rescue 321" and team members were also dispatched to aid the operation.[5]

By 4:10 p.m. local time, the two trucks that fell into water were recovered,[6] [7] with the bodies of their drivers and passenger recovered separately later in the evening.[8]

The Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration implemented a temporary water traffic control on the waters within 500 meters upstream and downstream of the bridge, prohibiting passage of all watercrafts but official and maintenance watercrafts.[9]

Aftermath

The captain of the ship was detained. People living in the vicinity were evacuated.[10]

An investigation started into the cause of the collapse. The ship company was cooperating in the investigation.

Staff from the China Railway Construction Corporation conducted on-site inspection after the collision assessed that there would not be any risk of a second collapse of the bridge.[11] In an evening press conference of the same day of the collapse, the chief engineer of the Guangzhou Transportation Management Bureau reported that the 19th bridge pier had been seriously damaged and tilted, and the span beams between the 19th and 20th bridge piers had to be replaced as well. Based on the assessments of the bridge and its surroundings on-site, a repair and reinforcement plan would be formulated.[12] On February 25, the demolition work on the damaged span began,[13] and it was expected that the overall repair work to be completed in four to five months' time.[14]

After the collision, the water supply to the island was interrupted. As an interim measure, the local water utilities connected the island to a temporary water supply pipeline through the still under construction, providing temporary relief to the villagers on the island,[15] with an expectation that the water supply would be fully restored several days later. Authorities also had dispatched water trucks to provide residents with portable water.[16] The Lixinsha Bridge also carries the island's communications fiber optic cables and electrical cables. In the collision, some of the fiber optics cables were damaged and cause the communications to be interrupted briefly for the day.[17] There was no interruption to the island's power supply as the electrical cables did not suffer any damages and there is already a second set of power cables installed in the Nanzhong Expressway installed six months ago.[18] To allow people and goods to enter and exit the island, the local government built a temporary dock by the following morning after the collision, and planned to build a temporary bridge as well.[19]

See also

References

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  2. News: 2024-02-22 . 广州沥心沙大桥事故:因涉事船员操作失当所致 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222102224/https://www.chinanews.com.cn/sh/2024/02-22/10167854.shtml . 2024-02-22 . 2024-02-22 . 中国新闻网 . 央视新闻客户端.
  3. News: Lee . Liz . Orr . Bernard . 22 February 2024 . Reuters . Five killed after barge hits bridge near China's Guangzhou, plunging vehicles in water .
  4. News: 22 February 2024 . AP News . Container ship hits bridge in south China, killing 5 and knocking section of roadway into the water .
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  12. News: 林钢威 . 2024-02-22 . 广州市交通运输局:将根据检测结果制定桥梁加固修复方案 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222105218/https://www.xkb.com.cn/articleDetail/290726 . 2024-02-22 . 2024-02-22 . 新快报.
  13. News: 2024-02-26 . 广州沥心沙大桥受损跨梁开拆 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240226012902/https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20240226-1470368 . 2024-02-26 . 2024-02-26 . 联合早报 . live.
  14. News: 徐振天 . 2024-02-24 . 沥心沙大桥整体维修需四五个月 临时码头已连夜建好启用 部分家庭恢复水龙头用水 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224045618/https://news.ycwb.com/2024-02/24/content_52518596.htm . 2024-02-24 . 2024-02-24 . 羊城晚报 . live.
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  16. News: 吴陈幸子 . 2024-02-22 . 广州南沙三民岛居民:村里设多个供水点,在建临时码头运送农产品 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222102323/https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20240222A060Y300 . 2024-02-22 . 2024-02-22 . 潇湘晨报 . live.
  17. News: 唐贵江 . 2024-02-22 . 沥心沙大桥被撞断 电信全力保障三民岛通信畅通 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222170718/https://www.gd.chinanews.com.cn/2024/2024-02-22/433523.shtml . 2024-02-22 . 2024-02-22 . 中新网 . live.
  18. News: 李天研 . 2024-02-22 . 三民岛电力供应正常,去年投产的供电"双保险"实现"零停电" . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222210040/https://huacheng.gz-cmc.com/pages/2024/02/22/SF11576435b561164cf8fc4ff79d2062.html . 2024-02-22 . 2024-02-23 . 广州日报 . live.
  19. News: 金喆 . 2024-02-22 . 广州沥心沙大桥断裂是否影响岛上居民生活?当地已启动用水、通讯、就医等保障措施 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222170729/https://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2024-02-22/3252495.html . 2024-02-22 . 2024-02-23 . 每日经济新闻 . live.