In the early morning around 2:10 a.m. on May 1st, a collapse incident suddenly occurred on the Meilong Expressway (Meida section) in Guangdong province, China. The collapsed road surface was approximately 17.9 meters long with an area of around 184.3 square meters. A large number of vehicles fell and caught fire, causing billowing black smoke and flames shooting into the sky, leaving many cars burnt to shells. The casualties continued to rise. As of the press time, the incident resulted in 20 vehicles falling, leading to at least 24 deaths and 30 injuries, with many others missing.
This tragic incident during the May 1st holiday in mainland China has shocked and deeply saddened countless individuals. Mainland media outlets have expressed sorrow and anger, demanding a thorough investigation into the true cause of the accident. It is worth noting that the section of the expressway where the accident occurred experienced a collapse a year ago.
According to the publicity department of Meizhou Dabu County, as of 3 p.m. on May 1st, the collapse incident on the Meida Expressway in Guangdong had resulted in 20 vehicles falling, involving a total of 54 individuals, with 24 confirmed deaths and 30 people receiving medical treatment in hospitals.
Prior official reports stated that by 11:45 a.m. on the 1st, the incident had caused 18 vehicles to fall, involving 49 individuals, with 19 confirmed deaths and 30 people sent for medical treatment.
At the time of reporting, many netizens were posting online to find family members who had been missing for hours. One netizen from Fujian said that his parents, brother, and sister, a family of five, were all uncontactable, causing great worry.
The significant number of casualties from this incident is rare and has quickly become a hot topic, sparking extensive skepticism among netizens. How could a nearly 18-meter long, approximately 180-square meter collapse suddenly occur on a perfectly fine expressway?
High-resolution aerial photos released by official media show the extent of the collapse on the expressway, where the road surface completely collapsed towards the hillside, with soil sliding out at least tens of meters, leaving only the highway guardrail connected to the pillars hanging in the air. The collapsed area formed a large pit, filled with a large number of burnt vehicle remnants.
Multiple photos from the scene of the accident circulating on social media show the aftermath of a major fire, with many vehicles reduced to charred shells.
Netizens discussed the dramatic disaster that unfolded on the Meilong Expressway in the early hours of May 1st, a time when most people were still asleep, causing unimaginable shock and grief.
One netizen shared that their friend was driving from Shenzhen to Fujian for a trip, unfortunately falling from this section of the expressway. At the time, there were three adults and two children in the car, with no contact established yet. The netizen’s friend was accompanied by another friend in separate cars, and the latter happened to be using a restroom at the time, narrowly escaping the tragedy.
Witnesses described that before the collapse, cracks and small pits had appeared on the road surface, but no one expected this to be a harbinger of disaster.
Reflecting back on the scene, witnesses who narrowly escaped still feel traumatized. They recounted how their vehicle suddenly lost control while driving and plummeted into a four to five-meter deep crater, igniting a fire with successive explosions. The sudden fear and despair brought tears to their eyes.
It is noteworthy that the Meilong Expressway has experienced accidents in the past. A year ago, on April 3, 2023, a collapse incident occurred on the same section of the road.
Many have questioned why there have been frequent collapse incidents on the same expressway. Is it due to design flaws or insufficient maintenance?
With 2.26 million followers and certified as a host, “Xing Ge” expressed deep sorrow over this disastrous incident. According to official updates, the death toll has increased from 1 person to 19, and now to more than twenty, causing immense pain. “What particularly angers me is that the current death toll is likely to sharply rise. As I console the families of the deceased, I hope the relevant authorities prioritize investigating the true cause behind this event.”
He questioned the cause of the accident. Some are attributing it to heavy rains. If the section experienced a collapse last year and underwent repairs, why didn’t the relevant departments take preventive measures before this year’s heavy rainfall arrived?
“Xing Ge” further raised concerns about the increasing number of vehicles on the road section, potentially surpassing the highway’s load capacity, leading to the collapse. Shouldn’t there have been a thorough evaluation during the expressway’s design phase? Shouldn’t there have been high-tech equipment to monitor and restrict vehicles exceeding the load capacity before entry onto the expressway?
Reflecting on it, he lamented, like many netizens have mentioned, ancient structures built by our ancestors withstand the test of time, yet modern constructions collapse after a short period. Afterwards, blame is often shifted to natural causes.
Certified as the former deputy director of the Central Media Video Center and arbitrator, Gong Lijun stated in a self-media video that the collapse on the Meilong Expressway in Guangdong, causing multiple casualties, must undergo thorough accountability.
“Is there a management responsibility, was it a shoddy construction, or a corrupted expressway? The entire process and reasons behind the collapse of the highway must be thoroughly investigated, including planning, construction, supervision, inspection, maintenance, and other aspects.”
He raised concerns about whether the foundation had been damaged or if there were runoff issues due to excess precipitation, which might not have been visible on the surface. During routine inspections, why weren’t these issues identified? If groundwater and runoff problems caused the foundation to weaken, a collapse could occur over time.
He added that there are also management concerns. Given that it was the “May Day” holiday, did the related management and maintenance personnel take time off? Or did they neglect their duties, turning a blind eye to potential risks?
“With such a major incident, I have to question, was there really no warning signs? Suddenly, a 17-meter long, over 180-square meter pit appeared out of nowhere! I refuse to believe there were no warning signs beforehand! Were there no cracks or small pits before the collapse? Didn’t the regular maintenance staff notice any anomalies? Was there no emergency plan in place? This must be thoroughly investigated!”
A Liaoning netizen, “Old Bi”, who has been in the media industry for over twenty years, highlighted the tragic details behind this incident. Why did a perfectly fine expressway collapse suddenly, resulting in such significant casualties? There must be a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
“The core issues include three aspects: the entity responsible for compensating the victims, whether insurance companies will provide compensation, how much will be compensated, which depends on determining responsibility for the accident—an intricate matter; whether the expressway was constructed using substandard materials; and accountability—19 deaths have reached the threshold of a major accident, and determining the cause and identifying those responsible could potentially involve criminal consequences.”
According to data, the Meizhou-Longyan Expressway is a segment of the national G25 Changsha-Shenzhen Expressway, known as the “Meilong Expressway”, serving as a rapid connection between Guangdong and Fujian provinces.
Construction of the Meilong Expressway commenced in December 2004 and was completed and opened for service in December 2006. The expressway spans a total length of 58.28 kilometers, with a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour and a total investment of 2.107 billion Chinese yuan.