This is the moment a grandfather speeds up a ferry ramp in his car, nearly hits stationary vehicles on the deck and drops off the edge into the Yangtze River, killing him and his 12-year-old granddaughter.

The incident took place at the ferry port in the city of Jiujiang in the Chinese province of Jiangxi at around 8.30am on 1st October.

According to local media, ferry workers were parking the cars on the deck when the driver of a white car suddenly sped past and drove off the edge of the ramp.

The driver reportedly accelerated from one end of the ferry to the other before crashing into the Yangtze River, killing him and his 12-year-old granddaughter.

A ferry worker told reporters: “In the place where the car ended up, the river is about eight metres deep. There were two people in the car and it seems like no one made it in the end.”

The local authorities confirmed that a salvage team had been sent to the area and that the car and the victims’ bodies were brought ashore.

The deceased have been identified as a 55-year-old man and his 12-year-old granddaughter, names not reported.

It is unclear if the grandfather suffered a medical episode when the incident took place, or whether it was down to driver error or intentional.

The investigation is ongoing.