A catastrophic event unfolded in southern China as a result of torrential rains, causing the collasped of a section of an expressway connecting Meizhou city with Dabu county in Guangdong province in the early hours of Wednesday. The aftermath was devastating, with cars hurtling down hillsides and the loss of at least 48 lives, as reported by Ma Zhengyong, Communist Party secretary of Meizhou city.
The scale of the disaster became painfully apparent as rescue efforts continued into Thursday, with 23 vehicles recovered and 30 injured individuals receiving medical attention in stable condition.
Responding to the crisis, the Guangdong provincial government mobilized a rescue team of 500 personnel, illustrating the gravity of the situation.
State media outlets shed light on the grim reality of the collapse, revealing that over 184 square meters of the highway disintegrated in the catastrophe.
The incident prompted urgent calls for bolstered inspection and reinforcement protocols for infrastructure, as extreme weather events become increasingly commonplace.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a sobering warning in the aftermath, acknowledging the heightened risk posed by widespread rainfall and atmospheric instability. He emphasized the importance to enhance alert systems, fortify emergency planning, and proactively identify potential risks to prevent future occurrences.
The calamity underscores a broader global trend of intensifying and more frequent extreme weather events, exacerbated by rapid climate change. Southern China, in particular, has borne the brunt of recent deluges, with Guangdong—a bustling economic hub—experiencing widespread flooding that has uprooted over 110,000 residents and claimed at least four lives, including that of a valiant rescue worker.
ragedy Strikes: Southern China Highway Collapse Claims Dozens of Lives.
In the wake of relentless torrential rains, a catastrophic event unfolded in southern China, as a section of an expressway connecting Meizhou city with Dabu county in Guangdong province collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday. The aftermath was devastating, with cars hurtling down hillsides and the loss of at least 48 lives, as reported by Ma Zhengyong, Communist Party secretary of Meizhou city.
The scale of the disaster became painfully apparent as rescue efforts continued into Thursday, with 23 vehicles recovered and 30 injured individuals receiving medical attention in stable condition. Responding to the crisis, the Guangdong provincial government mobilized a rescue team of 500 personnel, illustrating the gravity of the situation.
State media outlets shed light on the grim reality of the collapse, revealing that over 184 square meters of the highway disintegrated in the catastrophe. The incident prompted urgent calls for bolstered inspection and reinforcement protocols for infrastructure, as extreme weather events become increasingly commonplace.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a sobering warning in the aftermath, acknowledging the heightened risk posed by widespread rainfall and atmospheric instability. He emphasized the imperative to enhance alert systems, fortify emergency planning, and proactively identify potential risks to prevent future tragedies.
The calamity underscores a broader global trend of intensifying and more frequent extreme weather events, exacerbated by rapid climate change. Southern China, in particular, has borne the brunt of recent deluges, with Guangdong—a bustling economic hub—experiencing widespread flooding that has uprooted over 110,000 residents and claimed at least four lives, including that of a valiant rescue worker.
