At least 48 people have been confirmed dead after a highway section collapsed early Wednesday, May 1 in southern China’s Guangdong province.
The collapse occurred around 2:10 a.m. on the S12 highway connecting Meizhou City and Dabu County.
The incident, involving a 58.7-foot stretch of the road, caused at least 23 vehicles to plunge down a slope, trapping dozens of people in their cars.
According to the State broadcaster Xinhua, the highway collapse had claimed 48 lives by Thursday afternoon, with an additional 30 people receiving emergency medical care at nearby hospitals. The broadcaster added that none of the hospitalized people faced immediate risk to their lives.
“Reporters understand from a press conference held by the city of Meizhou, Guangdong, that the highway collapse disaster… has led to the deaths of 48 people,” Xinhua reported on Thursday afternoon.
Images from the scene showed cars piled at the bottom of the collapsed highway section, with flames and smoke rising from the vehicles. Emergency response teams of nearly 500 personnel were dispatched to aid in rescue efforts. The affected stretch of the highway was closed, and drivers were directed to alternate routes.
Witnesses described hearing a loud noise before noticing a hole open up in the highway section they had just crossed. Local media reported scenes of twisted guardrails and vehicles submerged in a deep, dark pit following the collapse.
While authorities have not officially confirmed the cause of the highway collapse, persistent heavy rains and subsequent flooding are widely believed to have been significant factors. Initial reports suggest a “natural geological disaster” brought on by the unrelenting heavy rainfall. Parts of Guangdong province have seen record rains and flooding in the past two weeks, as well as hail, that led to the deaths of four people and the evacuation of over 100,000 others. A tornado killed five people in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, last weekend.
Despite the severity of the collapse, authorities have commended the swift response by emergency teams, which has resulted in prompt medical attention for survivors. The operation to recover and identify those who lost their lives is still ongoing, with efforts expected to continue in the coming days.
CCTV reported on Thursday that President Xi Jinping has directed officials to exert maximum effort in conducting rescue operations and providing care for those injured. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of promptly addressing and managing any potential risks or undisclosed hazards.
Intense precipitation and subsequent floods present unique hazards to roads in mountainous areas and bridges on highways due to erosion, the accumulation of debris, and landslides. In recent times, China has significantly increased its infrastructure, incorporating over a million bridges on its highways, establishing the biggest network of rapid trains globally, and constructing numerous new airports.
