At least two people died after a ship collided with a bridge in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou on Thursday morning.

The local authorities said on Chinese social media platform Weibo, that it caused the structure to partially collapse.

Three people were still missing while a sailor suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

According to preliminary findings, two cars plunged in the water and three more fell onto the vessel as a result of the incident in Guangzhou’s Nansha District.

Images from the scene of the accident showed a bus that appeared to have fallen into the cargo hold of the freighter.

According to Chinese media reports, only the driver was on board the bus. The operator was unable to contact him after the accident.

The authorities said that the cause of the crash was initially unknown.

Chinese state television showed footage of the scene of the accident, in which the freighter could be seen wedged between two bridge pillars, with a significant gap in the two-lane bridge above it.

Rescue workers immediately rushed to the scene of the accident. 

(dpa/NAN)