The collapse of an expressway portion in China‘s Guangdong province caused vehicles to plunge, killing 36 and injuring another 30, official media said on Thursday, as millions of people travel for the May Day vacation.
The collapse, triggered by heavy rain, occurred at around 2:10 a.m. on Wednesday on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway, Xinhua news agency reported, adding that the collapsed section was 17.9 metres in length and caused 23 vehicles to plunge.
Meizhou is one of the areas in southern China’s Guangdong that has been badly hit by heavy rain and hail since last April which set off dangerous mudslides, inundated homes and destroyed bridges.
President Xi Jinping called for the utmost efforts to save lives and eliminate dangers as the rainy weather continued in the region, according to a Xinhua report.
Task forces from the central and local governments have been dispatched for the rescue work, the report added.
