At least 19 killed, dozens injured in highway collapse in southern China

At least 19 people have been killed after part of a highway collapsed in southern China’s Guangdong province, Al Jazeera writes.

State broadcaster CCTV reported a 17.9-metre (58.7-foot) stretch of the S12 highway between Meizhou city and Dabu county caved in at about 2:10 am on May 1 (18:10 GMT on April 30), trapping dozens of people in 18 vehicles.

As of 11:45 am (03:45 GMT), “19 people have been confirmed dead, and 30 are receiving all-out emergency care in hospital”, CCTV reported.

It added that the lives of those in hospital were “not currently at risk” but did not go into detail on their injuries.

Social media footage shared by local news outlets showed flames and smoke rising from a deep, dark pit into which the cars appeared to have fallen.

Authorities have sent about 500 people to the site to help with the rescue operation, CCTV reported.

The cause of the collapse was not specified.

Guangdong has been hit by a series of extreme weather events in recent weeks, from heavy rain to flooding and a deadly tornado.