State media reported that a section of an expressway in China’s Guangdong province collapsed on Thursday, causing vehicles to plunge, resulting in 36 fatalities and 30 injuries. The incident coincided with the May Day holiday, during which millions were travelling across the country. The news quickly spread across China, with a related hashtag garnering 260 million views on Weibo (China’s X) by Thursday morning.
Heavy rainfall led to the collapse of a section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in China at about 2:10 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Xinhua news agency. The collapse involved a 17.9-meter section of the road, resulting in 23 vehicles falling.
Since late April, Meizhou in southern China’s Guangdong province has been severely affected by heavy rain and hail, leading to perilous mudslides, flooding of homes, and destruction of bridges. Aerial photos captured the devastation along the S12 highway between Meizhou city and Dabu county, where one side of the road gave way due to the collapse of the underlying earth, causing mud to slide down the steep, forested hillside.
According to a report by Xinhua, President Xi Jinping has urged for maximum efforts to be made in saving lives and mitigating hazards as the region continues to experience rainy conditions.
The highway was shut down in both directions, and approximately 500 emergency responders, including firefighters and mine rescue specialists, were dispatched to assist in the rescue efforts. Images from the site depicted damaged vehicles being extracted from the mud by a large crane, while excavators were prepared for use nearby.
Additionally, rescue teams employed dogs and life-detection equipment to search for survivors.
