48 dead in Meizhou highway collapse

As of 2 pm Thursday, 48 people died after a section of a highway collapsed early on Wednesday morning in Meizhou, Guangdong province, said local authorities at a media briefing on Thursday afternoon. 

The collapse trapped 23 cars under almost 18 meters of road, covering an area of around 184 square meters, at 2:10 am on Wednesday. According to the media briefing, 30 individuals sustained injuries in the incident.

According to Wang Hui, mayor of Meizhou city, more than 500 rescuers from the police, emergency services and other departments were deployed to the scene.

However, the local emergency management bureau said that rescue operations are facing significant challenges due to heavy rainfall and landslides. One of the main difficulties is the large number of vehicles involved. As of Thursday, it has been discovered that 23 cars fell into the disaster area, some of which were covered by soil, making it difficult to locate them immediately.

Additionally, heavy rainfall has complicated rescue operations, reducing visibility during nighttime and making rescue efforts more difficult. According to authorities, rescue teams have been divided into 10 small groups to address these challenges, utilizing search dogs and life detectors to conduct a thorough search.