48 people killed in highway landslide in China

The scene of a highway collapse in Guangdong province, southern China, May 2, 2024. Photo: THX/TTXVN

According to Xinhua, as of the afternoon of May 2, authorities reported that 48 people had died. Thirty injured people were being treated in hospitals, none of whom had serious, life-threatening injuries.

On the same day, the Office of the State Council Work Safety Commission issued an urgent circular requiring local governments, relevant ministries and central state-owned enterprises to learn from the landslide and take specific measures to prevent similar accidents. The office stressed the need to strengthen measures to ensure the safety of transport infrastructure, tourist attractions , major entertainment facilities and crowded event venues, as well as the need to improve emergency response.

Earlier in the day, Xinhua News Agency reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping issued important instructions on rescue and disaster relief work after a highway landslide caused casualties in southern China's Guangdong Province.

The incident occurred at around 2:10 a.m. on May 1 (local time, or 1:10 a.m. Vietnam time) on a section of the Mai Chau - Dai Bo Expressway in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. More than 20 vehicles were swept down the road into the abyss below, with a total of 54 people trapped. According to Xinhua News Agency, the landslide was a “natural geological disaster” caused by prolonged heavy rain.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a team of experts to the scene to guide the rescue work, and has called on local authorities to make every effort to speed up the search and rescue work, treat the injured, minimize casualties, and determine the cause of the accident. Over 500 personnel from local emergency response teams, mine rescue teams, and fire brigades have participated in the on-site rescue work.

In recent weeks, Guangdong province has suffered a series of extreme weather events such as severe flooding and tornadoes.

According to Tin Tuc Newspaper

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/48-nguoi-thiet-mang-trong-vu-sat-lo-duong-cao-toc-tai-trung-quoc-post383577.html