Investigation report released for deadly expressway collapse in south China

GUANGZHOU, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A fatal expressway collapse in 2024 in Guangdong Province, south China, was caused by prolonged, continuous rainfall combined with multiple factors, according to a report released Wednesday.

The disaster occurred in the early morning amid a drizzle, the visibility was poor, the traffic volume was greater than usual, and the vehicles burst into fire after falling off the road. All these adverse factors exacerbated the damage, said the report compiled by the investigation and assessment group set up by the Guangdong provincial government.

There were also problems in the construction, operation and maintenance of the road, which impacted negatively on the embankment's disaster resilience, the report said.

The collapse happened on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou, Guangdong, on May 1, 2024. One side of the expressway caved in, resulting in 23 vehicles rolling down a slope, causing 52 fatalities, and leaving another 30 people injured.