At about noon on September 1, a cargo ship traveling through the Hengtang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal struck the Tingzi Bridge, near Suzhou, causing it to collapse.

A man walking on the bridge and a woman on a nearby boat were injured, but there are no reports on the seriousness of their injuries.

Portions of the collapsed bridge pinned down two cargo vessels, blocking traffic on the canal.

Nearly 2,500 years old and 1,800 kilometers long, the Grand Canal is the world's oldest and longest canal. It provides a north-south connection between the Yangtze and Yellow rivers and three other major east-west waterways. The canal, with 60 bridges and 24 locks, runs from Hangzhou, southwest of Shanghai, north to Tianjin and then to the capital.

The Grand Canal has been a vital artery for moving food and goods for many centuries. It is also an important tourism resource, with cruises offering travelers glimpses of the many ancient towns that line its banks.

(Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn September 2, 2004)