Highway Collapse in Southern Guangdong, China
At least 24 dead, over 30 injured
Recent torrential rains weakened the ground in southern China
On May 1st, during the Labor Day holiday known as the Golden Week in China, a highway in southern Guangdong Province collapsed, causing vehicles to fall and resulting in at least 24 deaths and over 30 injuries.
According to China’s state-run CCTV and other sources, around 2:10 a.m. on the day of the incident, the Meida Highway in Guangzhou, Guangdong, suddenly collapsed, causing about 20 vehicles to fall into a pit. The accident site is in the northeastern part of Guangdong, primarily hilly and rugged. The length of the collapsed road is 58.7 feet (17.9 meters), while the area is 1,983.5 square feet (184.3 square meters).
The incident occurred on the first day of Labor Day, one of China’s four major holidays. The traffic volume was high, eventually leading to more casualties. The Guangdong authorities dispatched over 500 rescuers to the incident site. The injured, many of whom suffered severe fractures, have been transferred to hospitals for treatment.
The exact cause of the accident has not been determined yet, but Chinese authorities believe that the road may have collapsed due to the weakening of the ground caused by heavy rain. Over the past two weeks, the region has suffered significant damage from record-breaking rainfall, floods, and hail. On April 22nd, a flood in Guangdong claimed four lives and displaced 110,000 people. The authorities estimate that the economic loss caused by the flood and other damages, including the destruction of homes and cancellation of flights, is about 140.6 million yuan (around $21.6 million).