Heavy rainfall

Highway collapses in southern China – dozens dead

A roadway collapsed on a highway in China on Wednesday morning.(Bild: AP/Xinhua)

In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, a roadway on a highway collapsed early Wednesday morning. At least 48 people were killed. Numerous others have to be treated in hospitals. It had rained a lot in the province in the past few days and streams were rising.

According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, 20 vehicles crashed. Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise and seeing a hole open up behind them. A roadway partially collapsed and was torn away. The destroyed section is on a slope, which is probably why the terrain was unstable.

The collapsed section of road was around 18 meters long and covered an area of approximately 184 square meters. The cause of the accident is still being investigated. Approximately 500 emergency personnel from the fire department, police and other authorities carried out the rescue work.

Approximately 500 emergency personnel carried out the rescue work.(Bild: AP/Xinhua)

It had rained a lot in the past few days and many streams were rising dangerously.(Bild: AP/Xinhua)

Flooding in towns and villages
Guangdong province is used to heavy rainfall, but it has been unusually heavy recently. Many streams rose dangerously and flooding was reported in towns and villages to the north and south of Guangzhou.

Landslides are also considered particularly dangerous in the mountainous regions of China during heavy rainfall. At the end of January, more than 30 people were killed in a landslide in a village in the southwest of the country. Every year, several hundred people die in China as a result of severe storms, floods and other natural disasters.