On May 1st, in the early hours of the morning, a landslide on the Meidagao Expressway in Guangdong province caused 48 deaths and 30 injuries. The section involved was constructed by a state-owned enterprise of the Chinese Communist Party and was completed less than ten years ago. Just at the end of April this year, the section had undergone an inspection. Experts have pointed out that landslides typically exhibit clear signs beforehand that allow for prediction. The public is outraged and demands severe punishment for those responsible for substandard construction.
On May 2nd, the Emergency Management Bureau of Meizhou City in Guangdong reported that as of 2:00 pm on the 2nd, the collapse of the expressway in the early hours of the 1st had caused 23 vehicles to fall, with a total of 78 occupants, resulting in 48 deaths and 30 injuries. Some vehicles were buried under the mud, making it difficult to immediately rescue trapped individuals.
Around 2:10 am on the 1st, a road collapse occurred near kilometer 11+900m in the direction from Dapu to Fujian on the Meidagao Expressway (around 2 kilometers from the Cha Yang Road section exit), causing a viaduct to break, leading numerous vehicles to plunge into the pit.
Videos circulating online show vehicles plummeting, with a fierce fire erupting at the scene. Aerial footage also reveals a massive crater with vehicles buried inside.
An engineer named Chen, engaged in structural and geotechnical work, analyzed to “Jiemian News” that the expressway section likely sits on landslide-prone land, and recent continuous rainfall in the area has caused rainwater to enter crevices, creating water pressure that triggers the downhill movement of the landslide. However, such landslides typically show clear signs beforehand that allow for prediction. He mentioned that the monitoring and warning system prior to the incident was inadequate.
The “Beijing News” reported that the expressway operating management unit had introduced that before the flood season this year, they had conducted concentrated inspections on the Meidagao Expressway’s ditches, high slopes, and other susceptibility areas. At the end of April, the Meidagao Expressway had just completed a safety hazard inspection of the high-speed road’s slopes before the flood season.
Publicly available information indicates that the Meidagao Expressway spans a total length of 61.3 kilometers. On December 31, 2014, the second phase and east extension of the Meidagao Expressway, totaling 33.6 kilometers, were completed and opened to traffic, marking the full connectivity of the entire Meidagao Expressway. “Jiemian News” reported that the accident occurred on the section of the Meidagao Expressway’s second phase and east extension.
This means that the expressway was completed less than ten years ago, and the slope hazard inspection was only done at the end of April.
The public has expressed anger over the incident. “Blaming the weather alone is unacceptable.” “Strictly investigate and punish those responsible for substandard construction.” “The highway, barely a decade old… a sigh, may the departed rest in peace.” “A thorough investigation must be conducted; corruption must be present behind the scenes, sadly at the expense of many lives.”
According to public information, there are two disputed construction entities for the Meidagao Expressway: Guangdong Road and Bridge Construction Development Co., Ltd., and the Meidagao Branch of Guangdong Bodagao Expressway Co., Ltd. Guangdong Road and Bridge Construction was previously a shareholder of Guangdong Bodagao Expressway and later withdrew in 2018. Currently, Guangdong Bodagao Expressway is wholly owned by Guangdong Highway Construction Co., Ltd.
The operational management party for the Meidagao Expressway is Guangdong Dachao Expressway Co., Ltd. According to the Tianyancha App, Guangdong Dachao Expressway was established in 2016 and faced new litigation cases in 2022. Overall, 33.3% of the cases are related to Yuyi Sand and Stone Co., Ltd. in Dapu County.
Guangdong Bodagao Expressway, Guangdong Road and Bridge Construction, Guangdong Highway Construction, Guangdong Dachao Expressway, and others belong to Guangdong Provincial State-owned Enterprise Guangdong Provincial Transportation Group. Guangdong Provincial Transportation Group, a large state-owned corporation, was founded on June 28, 2000, based in Guangzhou, with a registered capital of 26.8 billion Chinese yuan.