During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, a section of highway collapsed in southern China. At least 24 people lost their lives, according to a provisional report.
The collapse of a section of highway in China, in the province of Guangdong (south), took motorists by surprise on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. According to Chinese media, 20 vehicles were “trapped” and at least 24 people died.
Images posted on social networks show the gaping hole formed on the highway but also the cars fallen below, among the flames and smoke.
According to information from the Associated Press, the road collapsed 17.9 meters at around 2 a.m. between Meizhou city and Dabu county. Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise and said they saw the hole forming just after their own passage on the highway.
As daytime footage shows the aftermath of a highway collapse which left dozens of casualties in southern China. #Guangdong | #China At least 19 people were killed and 30 others were hospitalized after a section of a highway collapsed in the Guangdong province of China.#China pic.twitter.com/emxgQcP3Wc
— Kaka kashmiri (@KakaKashmirii) May 1, 2024
A section of a collapsed highway in Meizhou city, Guangdong province, China, leading to the death of 19 people. pic.twitter.com/i9rNnavp6z
— (@ShubhSayy) May 1, 2024
The state news agency Xinhua said the incident “involved 54 people in total and at least 24 were “confirmed to have died.” 30 victims were also taken to hospital and their lives are not in danger.
Multiple Dead After Expressway Collapses in China
Several vehicles fell through the Meizhou-Dalian Expressway in Guangdong in the early hours of Wednesday, after a section of the road caved in.
Local media reports 19 people have been killed with rescue operations ongoing. pic.twitter.com/dt2j420bjh
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) May 1, 2024
Part of the S12 motorway was closed in both directions and 500 people were mobilized to help with the rescue efforts. According to television channel CCTV, they belong to the services responsible for public security, emergency response, firefighting and mine rescue. Dozens of emergency vehicles and cranes gathered at the scene of the disaster.
CCTV speaks of a “natural geological disaster” linked to the downpours which have hit the region in recent weeks, causing serious flooding and landslides. Guangdong province has been hit by several violent weather events in recent weeks, including a tornado.