BEIJING. The death toll from a devastating highway collapse in southeastern China surged to 48 on Thursday, as rescuers continued their painstaking search through rugged terrain for a second consecutive day.
The catastrophe struck in the city of Meizhou, where one side of a four-lane highway crumbled at approximately 2 a.m. on Wednesday, following a month of relentless rainfall in Guangdong province. Twenty-three vehicles plummeted down a steep slope, some engulfed in flames as they ignited upon impact. Construction cranes were deployed to extract the charred and mangled wreckage.
Officials in Meizhou revealed that three individuals remained unidentified pending DNA testing, raising the possibility of the death toll climbing to 51. Additionally, approximately 30 individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Mayor Wang Hui of Meizhou confirmed during a late-afternoon press briefing that search efforts were ongoing, emphasizing that no foreign nationals were among the casualties.
However, rescue operations have been significantly hindered by persistent rain and the continuous threat of land and gravel slides. The disaster has left a harrowing scar on the verdant forest landscape, with excavators working tirelessly to widen the search area on the slope.
Wen Yongdeng, the Communist Party secretary for the Meizhou emergency management bureau, highlighted the challenges facing rescue teams, stating, “Most of the vehicles were buried in soil during the collapse, with a large volume of soil covering them.”
He further noted the heightened risk of secondary disasters due to saturated soil resulting from prolonged heavy rainfall in the region.
Over the past four weeks, the county where the tragedy occurred has experienced over 56 centimeters (22 inches) of rainfall, more than quadruple the amount recorded last year. The deluge has inundated several villages in Meizhou since early April, with the city enduring further downpours in recent days.
Guangdong province has borne the brunt of record-breaking rains and flooding in the past fortnight, compounded by hailstorms. Just last weekend, a tornado claimed the lives of five individuals in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, amid adverse weather conditions.
The collapse of the highway segment coincided with the commencement of a five-day May Day holiday, a period marked by increased travel activity both domestically and internationally among Chinese citizens.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized the imperative for all regions across China to enhance monitoring and early warning mechanisms, urging a thorough investigation into potential risks to safeguard public safety and ensure social stability, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
