The death toll from a catastrophic highway collapse in southern China has escalated to 36, with ongoing rescue operations to recover vehicles and survivors. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, during the commencement of China’s major May holidays, a peak travel period.
The collapse affected the S12 highway connecting Meizhou city to Dabu county. According to state news agency Xinhua, the disaster struck at around 5:30 am, resulting in 36 fatalities and 30 injuries, none of which are life-threatening.
Aerial footage and images from the scene display a significant portion of the highway that has given way, with earth sliding down into a steep, forested hillside. This geological disaster was reportedly triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, leading to the road’s foundation being compromised.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that a 17.9-meter segment of the highway was affected, with at least 23 vehicles discovered in the resultant muddy pit. Rescue efforts have involved the use of cranes to extract cars from the mud, and excavators are also on the scene to assist in the operations.
Eyewitnesses described hearing the sounds of cars falling and a subsequent “huge explosion,” which led to confusion and panic among travelers. The highway has since been closed in both directions to facilitate the rescue operations, which include around 500 emergency responders from various services, including firefighters and mine rescue experts.
The rescue teams are employing advanced methods such as life-detecting devices and search dogs to locate and save potential survivors trapped in the debris. The efforts continue amidst steady rain, which complicates the already challenging conditions at the disaster site.