1-5-2024 (GUANGDONG) A devastating scene unfolded in southern China’s manufacturing heartland of Guangdong early Wednesday when a section of major highway crumbled amid relentless downpours, killing at least 24 people. The catastrophic incident saw a stretch of road between the cities of Meizhou and Dabu give way shortly after 2am local time, swallowing some 20 vehicles in a deep pit of mud and debris.
According to state media outlets, the collapse impacted a total of 54 individuals, with 30 survivors rushed to area hospitals for emergency treatment as recovery efforts remained ongoing into the afternoon hours. While authorities have not disclosed specific details regarding the injured, reports indicate their lives are not currently at risk.
Harrowing footage circulated across social media appeared to capture the immediate aftermath, with flames and plumes of smoke visible amidst the wreckage in the pre-dawn darkness. One unverified video depicted a man’s voice warning, “You can’t go any further…parts of the road have given way.”
China Central Television (CCTV) confirmed nearly 18 metres of the highway had disintegrated into the densely wooded slope, attributing the “natural geological disaster” to the unrelenting heavy rainfall battering Guangdong in recent weeks. An aerial photograph broadcast nationwide showed mangled vehicles lying in the muddy sinkhole gouged from the earth where the major artery once ran.
Over 500 emergency personnel from public safety, firefighting, and specialised mining rescue teams raced to the remote stretch of collapsed roadway to join the arduous recovery mission. Local transportation authorities swiftly implemented detours and shuttered the affected section of highway in both directions as the scale of the catastrophe became apparent.
The tragedy represents the latest in a series of extreme weather events to rock Guangdong, typically considered outside the core summer monsoon season. Just last month, massive flooding displaced over 100,000 residents and claimed four lives in other parts of the densely populated manufacturing hub. A fearsome tornado also tore through the provincial capital of Guangzhou mere days ago, leaving five dead in its wake.
Authorities have attributed the seemingly unprecedented early arrival of the destructive storms to the rapidly intensifying effects of climate change. “Intensifying climate change has increased the likelihood of the kind of heavy rains not typically seen until the summer months,” cautioned Yin Zhijie, China’s chief hydrological forecaster, in comments to state media outlets last month.
