A bridge under construction in a village in southern China has collapsed, killing 11 people and injuring several others.

State-run Xinhua News Agency says the stone arch bridge being built in Liangkengkou village in Guangdong province collapsed early Saturday afternoon.

A spokesman at the information office of Maoming city government, which is carrying out rescue work, said today that rescuers had pulled out 26 people from the debris.

Five of them were confirmed dead at the scene. Eight others were seriously injured, six of whom died later in hospital. One other person had managed to get out.

He says the construction of the unlicensed bridge had been arranged by the village committee, and that three people were in police custody.