Twenty-four individuals lost their lives when a section of a mountainside highway collapsed in China’s Guangdong province, following heavy rainfall over several days.
Thirty others were hospitalized after a 17.9-meter (58-foot) stretch of the Meilong expressway gave way at 02:10 local time (19:10 BST) on Wednesday.
The cause of the incident hasn’t been officially determined yet, but state media shared images revealing a substantial gap in the forested mountainside beneath the highway.
The 30 hospitalized individuals are reportedly “not currently at risk,” according to state media reports.
To manage the situation, the provincial government dispatched 500 emergency response personnel to the site.
Initially, state media reported 19 fatalities, but local authorities later confirmed the death toll at 24, with 30 injured persons.
Footage captured shortly after the collapse showed flames and black smoke rising from below the highway.
Authorities noted that 20 vehicles plunged into the collapsed road section.
Another video shared by state media depicted a smoldering heap of charred cars partially submerged in mud.
Last week, Guangdong, China’s most populous province, endured flash floods that claimed four lives, displaced 110,000 people, and caused substantial economic losses estimated at 140.6 million yuan ($19.4 million; £15.5 million).
The adverse weather persisted over the weekend with a tornado striking a factory district in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, resulting in five fatalities and 33 injuries.
Additionally, hailstones the size of golf balls were observed falling on the city.
Source-BBC
