BEIJING (AP) – At least 36 people were killed when a section of a highway collapsed and cars fell off a slope after heavy rains in southern China's mountainous region, authorities said Thursday.
The Meizhou city government said a 17.9-meter (58.7-foot) stretch of the highway was closed around 2 a.m. Wednesday, and 23 vehicles were discovered. Thirty other people were injured, but none of the injuries were life-threatening, the government said.
Fire officials told Chinese media that persistent rain and falling gravel and dirt at the site made search efforts difficult and posed some danger to workers.
According to the report, rescue teams divided the area into 10 grids and used dogs and life detectors to search the area. Excavators and cranes were also brought in to assist.
The collapse left a barren scar on the steep slopes of the lush forest area. Witnesses told local media that after driving past the section just before the collapse, they heard a loud bang and saw a large hole open behind them.
Video and photos from local media showed smoke and fire at the scene, with a highway guardrail leaning into the flames. I saw a pile of black cars on the slope going down from the highway.
Later photos showed a construction crane lowering the wrecked car onto the road, near three other vehicles that were also damaged. Everything seemed to be on fire.
Cumulative rainfall in the county where the road collapse occurred was more than 56 centimeters (22 inches), more than four times as much as last year. Some villages in Meizhou were flooded in early April, and the city had been experiencing heavy rain in recent days.
In parts of Guangdong province, Record heavy rain and flooding There has also been hail in the past two weeks.a 5 people killed in tornado Last weekend in Guangzhou, the provincial capital.
