An aerial drone photo taken on May 2, 2024 shows rescuers and excavators working at the site of an expressway collapse on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Photo:Xinhua

As of 2 pm on Thursday, the death toll has risen to 48 after part of an expressway collapsed in south China's Guangdong Province on early Wednesday morning, according to a press conference held in Meizhou City.
DNA of another three people are yet to be identified.

Thirty injured people are receiving hospital treatment, and none of them are in life-threatening condition, according to authorities of Meizhou City.

The collapse happened around 2:10 a.m. on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou. The collapsed section measures 17.9 meters long and covers an area of 184.3 square meters, officials said.

Aerial photos show one side of the expressway caved in, causing vehicles to roll down a slope.

The rescue and aftermath work continues.