Beijing: The death toll from a highway section collapse in southeastern China rose to 48 on Thursday, with search efforts ongoing. More than 20 cars plunged down a steep slope after the collapse, which occurred around 2 am on Wednesday in a mountainous area of Guangdong province. Three other individuals remained unidentified pending DNA testing, which could potentially raise the death toll to 51. Additionally, around 30 people sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The collapse, triggered by heavy rains over the past month, caused vehicles to plummet down the slope, leading to fires. Meizhou city Mayor Wang Hui stated that the search for survivors continued despite challenges posed by rain and landslides. Fortunately, no foreigners were among the victims.
Search operations have been hindered by adverse weather conditions, with rain and sliding land and gravel complicating rescue efforts. The disaster has left a noticeable gash in the forested landscape. Wen Yongdeng, the Communist Party secretary for the Meizhou emergency management bureau, explained that the rescue operation's difficulty increased due to some vehicles catching fire and being buried under soil during the collapse. He emphasized that prolonged heavy rainfall had saturated the soil, increasing the risk of secondary disasters during the rescue process.
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