The broken Lixinsha Bridge in Nansha district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, after it was hit by a ship, on Feb 22, 2024. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

GUANGZHOU - A preliminary investigation has identified crew misoperation as the cause of a ship-bridge collision on Thursday morning that caused a fracture in a bridge and resulted in five deaths in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province, according to a press release.

Ferries and buses have been arranged to support the travel and transport of some 9,100 people on an island connected by the bridge

Due to misoperation by the crew, at around 5:30 am, a container ship's hull first hit pier No 18 of the Lixinsha Bridge in Nansha district, and consequently, the ship's bow hit pier No 19, resulting in a crack in a part of the bridge, said Yin Qiang, deputy head of the Maritime Safety Administration of Guangzhou.

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The seriously inclined pier No 19 and relevant structures with risk of instability will be dismantled to eliminate potential safety hazards, said Zou Xiaojiang, chief engineer of the transport bureau of Guangzhou.

Ferries and buses have been arranged to support the travel and transport of some 9,100 people on an island connected by the bridge.

Water and food have been provided for them and the broken water supply pipeline is being repaired, according to the press briefing.