It has been raining heavily for days in Guangdong province in southern China. In the populous region, over 127 million people are at risk of flooding.
When a section of highway collapsed in the south China’s
According to state media, at least 24 people were killed. According to the Xinhua news agency, a section of road collapsed around 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday night. 20 vehicles fell into the opening created by the collapse and 54 people were affected.
Initially, 19 deaths were reported, but the number was later corrected to 24. Thirty people are still being treated in hospitals, Xinhua reported. Their lives are currently not in danger. The accident occurred near the city of Meizhou in Guangdong province.
State broadcaster cites heavy rain as the cause
Images on social media showed smoking wreckage in a muddy pit where the highway once ran. Flames could also be seen in some photos. Dozens of emergency vehicles and cranes were gathered along the intact stretch of road, which runs along a steep, wooded slope. According to state television broadcaster CCTV, around 500 emergency services were on site. The highway was closed in both directions. The cause of the accident is currently being investigated.
It had previously rained heavily in the area for days. The authorities had declared the highest warning level for parts of the province and warned of landslides and flash floods. Broadcaster CCTV described the collapse as a “geological natural disaster” caused by the rain.
The heavy rain had caused the rivers in the Pearl River Delta to swell in large parts of the province. At least five people have been killed since the rains began, and many more people were missing.
China has been increasingly hit by severe floods, devastating droughts and record heat in recent years. Man-made climate change is causing extreme weather events to become more frequent and more intense. China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
When a section of highway collapsed in the south China’s
According to state media, at least 24 people were killed. According to the Xinhua news agency, a section of road collapsed around 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday night. 20 vehicles fell into the opening created by the collapse and 54 people were affected.
Initially, 19 deaths were reported, but the number was later corrected to 24. Thirty people are still being treated in hospitals, Xinhua reported. Their lives are currently not in danger. The accident occurred near the city of Meizhou in Guangdong province.