19 people have died after a road collapsed on a highway in Guangdong province in southern China. As Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported, 30 people were taken to hospitals for treatment after the collapse early on Wednesday morning.

Images on social media showed a highway running along a hillside. A roadway had partially collapsed and been torn away. Destroyed cars could also be seen that had apparently fallen off the road and down the slope. There has been heavy rainfall in the region for days.

According to CCTV, the collapsed section of road was about 18 meters long and had an area of ​​about 184 square meters. After the accident, around 500 police, fire and other authorities were involved in the rescue work. The cause of the accident is currently being investigated.