Padmesh Prabhune –
4 crew members including ‘Pilot’ and ‘First Mate’ missing
A Chinese general cargo ship sank after hitting Jiujian Bridge en’route Fuzhou and Heshan. Officials report a massive search is underway for four of its crew that went missing while seven of the 11 crew aboard the vessel were rescued overnight.
According to reports, the Chinese flagged Xin Rong Hai 1 transporting 4,900 tonnes of rolled steel collided with a bridge in Fuzhou province on the evening of April 22 and sank after trying to reach the nearby beach, leaving four of its crew, a pilot, the first mate, a chef and a rating still missing.
The vessel hit one of the pillars of the bridge at around 21:20 local time and the cargo hold reportedly started to flood. The vessel grounded but around 23:40 is reported to have sunk into the river which is one of the main tributaries of the Pearl River. The crewmembers were reported to have fallen into the swollen river.
The Jiujian Bridge which was struck is well-known as it is 1,682 meters in length (more than 1 mile) and was the first large prestressed concrete cable-stayed bridge in the Asia-Pacific region since1988. An inspection showed abrasions along the pillar and Chinese officials implemented traffic control restrictions on the river. The bridge is undergoing further safety checks.
Marex Media