The number of victims of accidents in China, where a highway collapsed after heavy rains, has risen to 48

Commercial presentation Update: 2/05/2024 10:32 AM
Issued by: 2/05/2024, 05:43

Beijing – At least 48 people have been killed in a mountainous region in southern China, where part of a highway collapsed on Wednesday after heavy rains. Another 30 people are injured. Referring to the new balance sheet published by the local media, the AFP reported about it today. The previous balance spoke of 36 dead.

The accident, which collapsed a 17.9-meter section of highway, happened in Guangdong province at around 02:00 local time (20:00 CEST Tuesday), authorities in Meizhou city said earlier. After part of the road collapsed, 23 vehicles fell down the steep slope. None of the 30 injured are in danger, the Chinese government said.

The search and rescue work, in which around 500 people were deployed, was also complicated by the downpour and the risk of loosening more soil. Rescue teams are searching the place, dog handlers are on site. Chinese CCTV footage showed a crane loading charred and wrecked pieces of vehicles onto a truck.

A section of the highway between Meizhou City and Tapu County appears to have collapsed when the ground beneath it gave way. Witnesses told local media that they heard a loud noise and when they looked back, they saw a huge pit behind them.

China’s state-run CCTV said the collapse was a “natural disaster” caused “under the influence of persistent heavy rain”, according to AFP.

The province of Guangdong, which lies on the southeast coast of China, has been hit by record-breaking downpours and floods in the past two weeks. Last week, the 18 million-strong metropolis of Canton was hit by a tornado, which left five dead and over three dozen injured.

China weather disaster FLASH