Rescue workers were racing against time to look for the crew members who got washed away after the vessel they were on slammed into a bridge pier in Foshan (Guangdong province) as on 23 April noon.
Continuous Rainstorms
The accident took place on 22 April night when a seagoing vessel carrying 11 sailors collided with the anti-collision pier of the Jiujiang Bridge on the G240 national highway located in Foshan’s Nanhai district at approximately 9:20 pm, according to Zhan Qianshang, the director of Foshan Nanhai District’s Maritime Safety Bureau.
The vessel sank at about 11:40 pm on 22 April.
Zhan stated that the cause of the accident was the improper operation of the crew members on board.
The river’s water level was significantly high and flowing fast when the accident occurred due to continuous rainstorms for many days.
Rescue Underway
Ships nearby successfully rescued seven crew members.
Three were rescued immediately following the accident, and four were rescued early on 23 April morning.
The other four, namely a chef, the pilot, a sailor, and the first mate, continue to be missing.
The vessel was loaded with 4907 tons of coil steel. It was sailing to Fujian from Heshan when the accident occurred. In contrast, the maritime department enforced navigation control entering the water area three kilometers downstream and upstream of the Jiujiang Bridge.
Vehicles and vessels passing by are advised to take an alternate route.
When the incident was reported to Zheng Ke, the secretary of Foshan, Bai Tao, the mayor of Foshan, and Guo Weibin, the deputy director of the Guangdong Maritime Safety Bureau, they hurried to the scene to direct and coordinate rescue operations, requesting that the appropriate departments take all necessary precautions to search for and safely rescue the missing.
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Source: Marineinsight
