The incident occurred due to heavy rains that caused a stretch of road to cave in around 2:10 am on Wednesday, leading vehicles to plummet down a steep slope.

Guangdong, known for its industrial powerhouse and high population density, has experienced a series of disasters attributed to extreme weather events this year.

The heavy rains have been much heavier than usual and have been linked to climate change.

Rescue work is ongoing.

China, the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

A recent tragedy occurred when a road collapsed due to heavy rain, resulting in at least 36 deaths and 30 injuries.

President Xi Jinping ordered emergency rescue efforts and risk management.

State media described the incident as a natural geological disaster.

Approximately 500 people have been sent to aid in a rescue operation in Guangdong, China.

The provincial government has deployed elite forces and is putting significant resources into search and rescue efforts.

The S12 highway has been closed in both directions due to heavy rain, which has caused flooding in central and eastern Guangdong.

The region has received over 600 millimeters of rain in the last 10 days, three times the usual amount for this time of year.

An additional 120 millimeters of rain is forecast for the southwestern areas on Thursday, and heavy rain is expected to continue in southern China until Sunday.

The weather conditions increase the risk of geological disasters, which can have a delay in occurrence.

During the May public holiday in China, the emergency management ministry issued a warning about the increased risk of disasters due to persistent rain.

Officials advised people to carefully plan their journeys.

In April, heavy rainfall in Guangdong led to floods that resulted in four deaths and the evacuation of over 100,000 people.

Last week, a tornado in Guangzhou caused five fatalities.