Heavy rains in southern China caused a section of a mountainous highway in Meizhou city to collapse, resulting in the death of at least 36 people and injuring 30 others, Associated Press reports.
The collapse, which measured nearly 17.9 meters, left 23 vehicles buried under debris. Rescue efforts were hindered by rain and falling debris, with search teams using dogs, life-detecting devices, excavators, and cranes to rescue survivors. The aftermath of the collapse was captured in video and photos, showing smoke and fire at the scene, with a highway guardrail leaning into the flames and a pile of blackened cars strewn down the slope.
The region had been experiencing unusually heavy rainfall, with over 56 centimeters (22 inches) falling in the past four weeks, more than four times the amount compared to last year. Flooding had already occurred in some villages in Meizhou in early April, and heavy rain persisted in the days leading up to the collapse.
