Topline
At least 19 people were killed in China’s southern Guangdong province on Wednesday after a section of a highway collapsed after the region witnessed several days of extreme weather, including torrential rain and flooding.
Key Facts
At around 2 am local time on Wednesday, eighteen cars fell down a slope after a 58.7-foot (17.9-meter) section of a highway collapsed, the Associated Press reported, citing a statement from local authorities in Guangdong’s Meizhou city.
Photos and videos on social media showed flames and plumes of smoke rising from the collapsed section of the highway, along with charred vehicles partly buried under mud and rubble.
State-run broadcaster CCTV said 30 people were rescued from the site and they “are receiving all-out emergency care in hospital.”
Authorities have also dispatched over 500 people to help with the rescue operation, state media said, without specifying if any other people remained trapped.
Key Background
The road collapse is the latest in a series of disasters that have recently hit Guangdong, caused by extreme weather events. Over the weekend, at least five people were killed after a tornado struck the city of Guangzhou. The region has also been hit by record-level rainfall, powerful storms and major flooding in the past few weeks. The flooding in parts of the state was so severe last week that authorities were forced to evacuate an entire township of around 1,700 people. Heavy rains and winds have also destroyed power lines and other infrastructure while causing the collapse of dozens of houses. The province, located along China’s southern coast, is the country’s most populous, with more than 126 million residents. Guangdong, a key industrial hub, has also been dubbed the “factory floor of the world”.
Further Reading
Highway collapse in China’s southern Guangdong province leaves at least 19 dead (Associated Press)
