Xi: spare no effort in relief operations

President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts in rescue and disaster relief operations following a highway collapse in Guangdong province on Wednesday, which killed at least 48 people and injured 30 others.

In an instruction on the deadly disaster, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, demanded that all efforts be made to rescue at the scene, treat the injured and properly manage the consequences.

At around 2:10 a.m. Wednesday, a landslide occurred on the Chayang section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou, Guangdong province.

Local authorities confirmed that the collapsed section is nearly 18 meters long and has an area of ​​approximately 184 square meters. Twenty-three cars were trapped in the collapse.

The death toll rose to 48 as of 2 p.m. Thursday. The DNA of three other people has not yet been identified, while 30 injured people are hospitalized and none of them are in life-threatening condition, according to Meizhou authorities.

Xi said efforts should be made to repair damaged roads and restore traffic order as soon as possible.

He urged all relevant regions and departments to keep the worst-case scenario in mind, strengthen monitoring and early warning, improve contingency plans, and promptly investigate and deal with potential risks in key areas. , in order to ensure the safety of people and property. and overall social stability.

Premier Li Qiang also ordered to spare no effort to rescue the injured, carry out follow-up work, do everything possible to search and rescue the trapped people, and strictly guard against secondary risks.

Li pointed out that the current May Day holiday constitutes a peak tourist season, and noted that precipitation is widespread in some areas. He called for all-out efforts to prevent accidents and disasters.

Acting according to instructions, Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing led relevant officials to the scene to guide rescue and disaster relief operations.

Rescue efforts are continuing, despite difficulties due to continued rains, local authorities said at a press briefing Thursday afternoon.

Wang Hui, mayor of Meizhou, said at the press briefing that 577 rescuers from police, emergency services and other services have been deployed to the scene and rescue efforts are continuing.

Rescue operations are facing significant challenges due to heavy rains and landslides, Wen Dengyong, head of the local emergency management office, said at the press briefing.

One of the main difficulties is the large number of vehicles involved in the disaster, some of which were covered in earth or set on fire, making it difficult to immediately locate them, Wen said, adding that heavy rains complicated operations. rescue.

Rescuers were divided into 10 small groups to tackle these challenges, using search dogs and detection equipment to conduct a thorough search, Wen said.

Before help arrived, several passing motorists immediately got out of their cars to help people in need following the collapse. Liu Yongjin, who was driving back from Shenzhen in Guangdong to his hometown in Fujian province, was one of them, Southern Plus reported.

When he spotted people getting out of their cars, he rushed to their aid, carrying children and helping adults to safety. “In total, I managed to save six people, three adults and three children, the youngest being only 3 years old,” Liu said.

Since April, Meizhou has experienced several episodes of heavy rainfall, with the city's average accumulated precipitation reaching 621.7 millimeters, 2.49 times higher than the normal level for the same period. This surpassed the all-time April rainfall record since weather records began in 1980, which was 437.3 millimeters, according to data released at the news conference.

The Guangdong Meteorological Department forecasts that the province will continue to experience rain on Thursday and Friday.

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