5 honored for bravery after Guangzhou bridge collapse

Five people were honored on Tuesday for acts of bravery after a bridge collapse in the Nansha district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, the Guangzhou Samaritan Foundation said.

It named Wang Guoliang, Huang Fulin, Tang Qunhui, Guo Zhenzhao and Huang Biwei as playing a crucial role in saving lives as they stopped vehicles from approaching the Lixinsha Bridge on both sides, following the collapse of the bridge on Thursday.

Five people were killed and two were injured when a portion of the bridge, located on the Hongqili Waterway, collapsed after being struck by a barge.

A preliminary investigation found that errors made by the crew of the vessel were to blame. The barge collided with two supporting piers of the bridge, causing the bridge deck to break off.

While riding his motorbike onto the bridge, Huang Fulin, a native of Nansha, noticed a "strange fog" rising from the bridge surface in the early morning minutes after the incident.

"I was scared and quickly turned around after noticing that the bridge had collapsed," Huang said.

Huang then intercepted Wang Guoliang, who was driving a truck behind him. Subsequently, they acted separately to stop more vehicles from going onto the bridge.

The three other people honored played assisting roles in the effort.