China highway collapse: At least 48 killed, search operation continues in Meizhou
An aerial photo shows rescuers working at the site of a collapsed road section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou
At least 48 people have been killed after a mountain road collapsed in the Guangdong province of China on Wednesday. Search operations continue in Meizhou with officials indicating that three other victims remained unidentified. The developments come amid torrential rainfall that has forced about 110,000 residents of Guangdong province to relocate in recent weeks.
More than 20 cars were sent tumbling down a steep slope on Wednesday after a part of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway collapsed. The incident took place around 2:00 am with some of the vehicles going up in flames after the fall.
“Because some of the vehicles involved caught fire, the difficulty of the rescue operation has increased. Most of the vehicles were buried in soil during the collapse process, with a large volume of soil covering them,” said Wen Yongdeng, the Communist Party secretary for the Meizhou emergency management bureau.
(With inputs from agencies)