China Highway Collapse: Death Toll Climbs to 48, Rescue Hampered by Heavy Rain

A highway section in southeastern China collapsed early Wednesday morning, sending over 20 vehicles plummeting down a steep slope in a mountainous area. The death toll from the disaster has climbed to 48 as of Thursday, with search efforts ongoing amidst challenging weather conditions.

The collapse occurred in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, following a month of heavy rainfall that saturated the soil. Local officials are searching for survivors and identifying victims, with three people currently unidentified. An additional 30 individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident occurred around 2 am on Wednesday, resulting in vehicles catching fire upon impact. Search efforts, hindered by ongoing rain and sliding debris, are still underway. Meizhou City Mayor Wang Hui confirmed that no foreign nationals were among the casualties.

Wen Yongdeng, Communist Party secretary for the Meizhou emergency management bureau, highlighted the challenges posed by vehicle fires and soil burial during rescue operations. He also noted the heightened risk of secondary disasters due to saturated soil from prolonged heavy rainfall.