BEIJING (AP) — The death toll from the collapse of a section of a mountain expressway in China's Guangdong province doubled to 48 on Thursday as more than 20 vehicles slid down the slope, official media reported.
A landslide caused a landslide on the Chang'an section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou city on Wednesday, the first day of the five-day May Day holiday, causing a large-scale vehicle accident.
The collapsed portion of the expressway is 17.9 meters long and covers an area of 184.3 square metres.
The state-run Xinhua agency said so far 48 people have been killed and many others injured. The death toll on Wednesday was 24.
The building collapsed on Wednesday morning after a month of heavy rain in a mountainous part of southern Guangdong province.Reports said vehicles fell down the slope and some caught fire.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has given "important instructions" on rescue and disaster relief operations following the deadly expressway accident, the report said.
Xi directed that every possible effort be made for on-site rescue and treatment of the injured.
Efforts should be made to repair damaged roads and restore traffic as soon as possible, Xi said.
All sectors and concerned departments should ensure safety of life and property of people and overall social stability, he said.Premier Li Qiang also issued instructions to spare no effort in rescuing the injured, carry out follow-up work, make every effort to search and rescue trapped people, and strictly guard against secondary risks.
Li stressed that the ongoing May Day holiday is the peak of tourism prime time, coupled with widespread rainfall in some areas, requiring all-out efforts to prevent accidents and disasters.
The Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Transport and other relevant departments have dispatched task groups to the site to conduct rescue efforts.
A landslide caused a landslide on the Chang'an section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou city on Wednesday, the first day of the five-day May Day holiday, causing a large-scale vehicle accident.
The collapsed portion of the expressway is 17.9 meters long and covers an area of 184.3 square metres.
The state-run Xinhua agency said so far 48 people have been killed and many others injured. The death toll on Wednesday was 24.
The building collapsed on Wednesday morning after a month of heavy rain in a mountainous part of southern Guangdong province.Reports said vehicles fell down the slope and some caught fire.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has given "important instructions" on rescue and disaster relief operations following the deadly expressway accident, the report said.
Xi directed that every possible effort be made for on-site rescue and treatment of the injured.
Efforts should be made to repair damaged roads and restore traffic as soon as possible, Xi said.
All sectors and concerned departments should ensure safety of life and property of people and overall social stability, he said.Premier Li Qiang also issued instructions to spare no effort in rescuing the injured, carry out follow-up work, make every effort to search and rescue trapped people, and strictly guard against secondary risks.
Li stressed that the ongoing May Day holiday is the peak of tourism prime time, coupled with widespread rainfall in some areas, requiring all-out efforts to prevent accidents and disasters.
The Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Transport and other relevant departments have dispatched task groups to the site to conduct rescue efforts.
