Five people have been killed in southern China after a container ship hit a bridge, causing part of it to break off over a waterway.

State-run China Central Television reported that the accident happened near a river mouth in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, at around 5 a.m. on Thursday.

Four vehicles, including a bus, a truck, and an electric motorbike, fell off the bridge and plunged into the water and the ship.

The authorities dispatched 15 vessels and more than 120 personnel to the rescue. The bus driver and four others were reportedly confirmed dead, and two people were treated in hospital.

Footage from the accident site showed the bus had been destroyed by its fall onto the ship. The bus reportedly carried no passengers.

The accident happened in an area along the coast with many factories.

A local man said he had come to the site after hearing the news. He said helicopters appeared to have been involved in the rescue operations.