FOSHAN, Guangdong: Salvage workers have retrieved eight bodies and all four of the vehicles that plunged into a river after a bridge collapsed in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province.

The 1,600-m Jiujiang Bridge, which runs across the Xijiang River, a major tributary of the Pearl River, collapsed after being rammed by a sand-laden boat 11 days ago.

Official government sources said that at least four vehicles and nine people were missing at the time.

Three bodies were discovered in two trucks that were pulled from the river yesterday morning. Salvage workers recovered five bodies last week.

All four missing cars, all of which were destroyed in the accident, were found within 100 m of the bridge, said Liang Weibiao, an official with the Guangdong Maritime Affairs Bureau.

As of yesterday afternoon, salvage workers were still searching for the last body.

"The salvage work went smoothly today as the weather has improved," Liang said in an interview with China Daily.

Liang added the three bodies recovered yesterday had been moved to a funeral home and would undergo DNA testing to confirm their identities.

"While we are searching for the last body, we will also find solutions to deal with the problems arising from the collapse," Liang said.

Although initial investigations indicated that the collapse had nothing to do with the bridge's structural integrity, Guangdong has started a province-wide campaign to inspect all spans.

Structural defects were found in three bridges in Foshan's Gaoming and Shunde districts. The bridges were all built around 1992.

In Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong Province, as many as 15 major bridges spanning the Pearl River will be overhauled.

In particular, the Pearl River Bridge, which has been hit by boats numerous times since it was built 47 years ago, will be equipped with a new collision avoidance system, sources with the Guangzhou urban planning bureau said.

There are more than 1,000 bridges in the city, 15 of which are over navigable waters. All of them will be inspected and some will be fitted with anti-collision equipment.

The sources said the equipment, which is estimated to cost 4 million yuan ($500,000), will include 200 rubber fenders to be affixed to the bridges' piers and 28 warning lights to help boats navigate at night and during inclement weather.