Multiple injured or dead after Guangdong highway collapse

Twenty-four people died and 30 others were injured after a section of a highway collapsed in Meizhou, Guangdong province on Wednesday morning, according to local authorities.

Twenty cars were trapped in the accident, which happened at 2:10 am on Wednesday.

There were no passenger buses or vehicles carrying dangerous chemicals.

About 17.9 meters of the road, or an area of around 184.3 square meters, collapsed.

The 30 injured people were rushed to hospital and are not in critical condition.

Local authorities established a rescue headquarters comprising more than 500 people in sectors including public security, emergency response, fire and rescue, and medical workers.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a working group to the site to guide rescue efforts.

The highway has been closed. Local authorities are looking into the cause of the accident.

A woman surnamed Yang told Beijing Youth Daily that the car of her husband's sister fell into the road collapse. Three people were missing, the driver is in stable condition but the three-year-old baby is still in critical care.

The falling pit is about three stories high and there was no warning, the woman said.

Another netizen surnamed Cai told the newspaper that his uncle's family were driving from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to Fujian province. They were still missing and he is still waiting for information from authorities.