Road collapse kills dozens in southern China

 A collapse of an expressway section in China's Guangdong province caused vehicles to plunge and killed 36 people while injuring another 30, Reuters reports citing Chinese state media.

The collapse, triggered by heavy rain, occurred at around 2:10 a.m. 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, Reuters adds.

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

The Guangdong provincial government dispatched a rescue force of approximately 500 people, the state broadcaster said.