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

According to China Daily, a total of 20 vehicles were ensnared in the incident at 2:10 am. Notably, neither passenger buses nor vehicles transporting hazardous chemicals were implicated in this event.

Almost 18 metres of road, with an area of around 184 square metres, collapsed.

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

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

The highway has been closed, and local authorities are looking into the cause of the accident.

Source: Emirates News Agency