Road collapse in southern China kills 36, state media reports

At least 36 people were killed and another 30 injured after a section of an expressway in China's Guangdong province collapsed, state media reported on Thursday.

The collapse, triggered by heavy rain, occurred at around 2:10 am on Wednesday on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway, Xinhua news agency reported, adding that the collapsed section was 17.9 meters in length and caused 23 vehicles to plunge.

Meizhou is one of the areas in southern China's Guangdong that has been badly hit by heavy rain and hail since late April which set off dangerous mudslides, inundated homes and destroyed bridges.

President Xi Jinping called for the utmost efforts to save lives and eliminate dangers as the rainy weather continued in the region, according to a Xinhua report.

Task forces from the central and local governments have been dispatched for the rescue work, the report added.