24 killed as highway collapses in Guangdong
Print Edition
At least 24 people died after part of a highway collapsed due to heavy rains in southern China’s Guangdong Province yesterday, state media said.
Guangdong, a densely populated industrial powerhouse, has been lashed by rainstorms in recent weeks, causing severe flooding and landslides in some areas.
The downpours have been much heavier than would normally be expected for the time of year and have been linked to accelerating climate change.
Xinhua news agency said that a stretch of road between Meizhou City and Dabu County caved in at around 2:10am yesterday.
The incident caused 20 vehicles to become trapped and involved a total of 54 people, according to Xinhua.
As of 3pm, “24 people have been confirmed dead, and 30 are receiving all-out emergency care in hospital,” Xinhua said.
Recovery work was ongoing and the lives of those hospitalized were “not currently at risk,” it added.
An aerial photograph published by state broadcaster CCTV showed wrecked vehicles lying in a deep muddy pit where the highway once ran.
Dozens of emergency vehicles and cranes congregated along the intact section of the road, which bisects a steep, wooded slope.
CCTV said the collapse was a “natural geological disaster... (that occurred) under the impact of persistent heavy rain.”
It reported that a nearly 18-meter stretch of road had fallen away.
Authorities have dispatched around 500 people to the site to help with the rescue operation, CCTV reported.
They are drawn from departments handling public security, emergency response, firefighting and mining rescue, according to the broadcaster.
Local authorities said in a notice that part of the S12 highway was closed in both directions and ordered drivers to take detours.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
