Topline
At least 24 people were killed in China’s southern Guangdong province on Wednesday after a section of a highway collapsed following several days of torrential rain and flooding in the region.
China's southern Guangdong Province has witnessed torrential rainfall and severe flooding in the ... [+]
Key Facts
Eighteen cars fell down a slope after a 58.7-foot (17.9-meter) section of a highway collapsed at around 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday, killing 24, the Associated Press reported, citing a statement from local authorities in the city of Meizhou, Guangdong.
Photos and videos on social media showed flames and plumes of smoke rising from the collapsed section of the highway, along with charred vehicles partly buried under mud and rubble.
State-run broadcaster CCTV said 30 people were rescued from the site and they “are receiving all-out emergency care in hospital.”
Authorities have also dispatched more than 500 people to help with the rescue operation, state media said, without specifying if any other people remained trapped.
Key Background
The road collapse is the latest in a series of disasters that have recently hit Guangdong, caused by extreme weather events. Over the weekend, at least five people were killed after a tornado struck the city of Guangzhou. The region has also been hit by record-level rainfall, powerful storms and major flooding in the past few weeks. The flooding in parts of the state was so severe last week that authorities were forced to evacuate an entire township of around 1,700 people. Heavy rains and winds have also destroyed power lines and other infrastructure, while causing the collapse of dozens of houses. The province, located along China’s southern coast, is the country’s most populous, with more than 126 million residents. Guangdong, a key industrial hub, has also been dubbed the “factory floor of the world.”
Tangent
In its State of the Climate report for 2023, the World Meteorological Organization said Asia “remained the world’s most disaster-hit region from weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023.” The report added that floods and storms caused the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses. China, in particular, witnessed multiple extreme weather events in 2023, which was also its hottest year on record. Last August, Beijing experienced its heaviest rainfall in 140 years. A month before that, a remote town in China’s Xinjiang region recorded a temperature of 126 degrees Fahrenheit—an all-time high for the country. In June 2022, Guangdong experienced its heaviest rainfall in six decades, causing major floods and landslides.
Further Reading
Highway collapse in China’s southern Guangdong province leaves at least 19 dead (Associated Press)
