China: Highway collapse claims 48 lives
A toll that continues to rise. The collapse of a highway in southern China has now claimed 48 lives, up from the previously announced 36, according to new figures released by a state media outlet on Thursday, May 2nd. This tragedy on May 1st is believed to be linked to heavy torrential rains that have recently hit the country, increasing the risk of disasters.
« The collapse of the highway has resulted in the deaths of 48 people », said the state-run agency China News. Vehicles were plunged into the nearly 18-meter-long gap in the tarmac and tumbled down the steep slope below in Guangdong province, on Wednesday, May 1st, around 2:10 a.m. local time. CCTV television footage showed excavators digging into the muddy hillside beneath the collapsed road. Nearby, a crane lifted charred and destroyed vehicles onto a truck, as onlookers stood behind a safety cordon.
Authorities have urged people to carefully plan their travel during the May holidays, which last until Sunday, May 5th. The provincial government quickly « mobilized specialized elite forces and spared no effort in carrying out search and rescue operations », according to China News. President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to « double down on on-site rescue operations and the treatment of the injured », CCTV reported, while around 500 people were dispatched to the scene to participate in the rescue efforts.
The collapse is believed to be a natural geological disaster, occurring under the impact of persistent heavy rains caused by the intensification of climate change, according to the television channel.
Indeed, torrential rains have battered Guangdong province in recent weeks, causing severe floods and landslides. Some parts of the province have received up to 600 millimeters of rain in the past ten days, three times the amount normally expected at this time of year, the national meteorological office said on Thursday.
