Death toll from road collapse in southern China rises to 48

The death toll from a highway collapse in southern China's Guangdong province has risen to 48, state media said on May 2, as rescue work continued.

Heavy rain caused a stretch of road running from Meizhou city towards Dabu county to cave in at around 2.10am on May 1, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Vehicles careened into the nearly 18m-long gash in the tarmac and plummeted down the steep slope below.

Guangdong, a densely populated industrial powerhouse, has been hit by a string of disasters attributed to extreme weather events in recent weeks.

The storms have been much heavier than expected this time of year and have been linked to climate change.

China is the biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change but has pledged to reduce emissions to net zero by 2060.

"Reporters understand from a press conference held by the city of Meizhou, Guangdong, that the highway collapse disaster... has led to the deaths of 48 people," Xinhua reported on May 2 afternoon.

The death toll was up from 36 people the previous morning.