Rescuers work at the site of an expressway collapse accident on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, May 1, 2024. The death toll has risen to 24 after part of an expressway collapsed in south China's Guangdong Province, causing 20 vehicles to plunge, on early Wednesday morning, local authorities said. Another 30 people are receiving hospital treatment, with none in life-threatening condition, according to the government of the province's Meizhou city. The incident happened around 2:10 a.m. on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou. The collapsed section is 17.9 meters long and covers an area of 184.3 square meters, officials said. (Xinhua)

Twenty-four people have been confirmed dead after a road section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway collapsed in Meizhou, South China's Guangdong Province, on Wednesday. China's Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a team to guide rescue work.

A around 2 am on Wednesday, a section of the expressway caved in. The collapsed road covered an area of 184.3 square meters, resulting in a total of 20 vehicles to fall off the road. So far 24 people have been confirmed dead in the accident, and another 30 people are receiving treatment at the hospital. 

The cause of the accident is still being assessed, and the expressway remains closed. Local emergency management department organized a group of 500 emergency response personnel to the scene consisting of fire crew and mining rescue professionals.

Local ambulances from nearby towns and villages have arrived at the site to assist with the rescue, a medic from the People's Hospital of Dabu County, told Yicai, a business and financial media outlet.

The accident was witnessed by several people who told media that they heard "sounds of cars falling" followed by "a huge explosion," media reported.

"We stopped and got out of the car to check and had no idea the road had collapsed," a witness told Guizhou Evening News. 

Rescuers work at the site of an expressway collapse accident on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, May 1, 2024. The death toll has risen to 24 after part of an expressway collapsed in south China's Guangdong Province, causing 20 vehicles to plunge, on early Wednesday morning, local authorities said. Another 30 people are receiving hospital treatment, with none in life-threatening condition, according to the government of the province's Meizhou city. The incident happened around 2:10 a.m. on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou. The collapsed section is 17.9 meters long and covers an area of 184.3 square meters, officials said. (Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 1, 2024 shows the site of an expressway collapse accident on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou, south China's Guangdong Province. The death toll has risen to 24 after part of an expressway collapsed in south China's Guangdong Province, causing 20 vehicles to plunge, on early Wednesday morning, local authorities said. Another 30 people are receiving hospital treatment, with none in life-threatening condition, according to the government of the province's Meizhou city. The incident happened around 2:10 a.m. on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou. The collapsed section is 17.9 meters long and covers an area of 184.3 square meters, officials said. (Xinhua)

After the incident, some netizens on Sina Weibo called for an "investigation into the construction quality of the road." Other netizens advised local officials to come up with a "detailed and fair compensation plan" for the effected families. 

"I don't know whether or not the incident was a result of excessive traffic," one netizen said in a post on Sina Weibo. The accident occurred on the first day of the May Day holidays, one of the busiest days for traffic including rail, air and road. 

Global Times