A decommissioned bridge collapsed in central China Sunday leaving three workers missing, state media reported.

The collapse happened as the bridge was being dismantled in Jiangxi province, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Five workers who fell into the river in the accident were rescued and sent to hospital, Xinhua said. Rescuers were still looking for the three missing workers.

The cause of the incident is under investigation, the agency said.

Photos posted by Xinhua showed the decommissioned bridge alongside a newer bridge with passenger cars stopped and motorists looking at the aftermath.

Although wholesale bridge collapses are rare, traffic accidents are common in China, with more than 250,000 people dying each year on the country's roads, according to the World Health Organization.

China has seen repeated bus fires in recent years which have caused multiple fatalities.

An accident in July killed 26 when a coach crashed through a highway guard rail and plunged into a canal and a fiery bus crash killed 35 in June.

Long-distance coaches are a popular cheap mode of travel between cities and competition between transport firms can be fierce.