2am road collapse due to landslide
cars after cars drove into the hole
36 killed

A highway collapsed in southern China early on Wednesday, sending cars plummeting down a hill and killing dozens of people, Chinese state media reported.

At least 36 people were killed following the collapse of a section of the expressway linking Meizhou city with Dabu county in Guangdong province, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Some 23 vehicles had been recovered as rescue work continued Thursday, while 30 injured people remain in hospital in stable condition, CCTV said.

The Guangdong provincial government had dispatched a rescue force of approximately 500 people, the state broadcaster said.

More than 184 square meters of the highway disintegrated, officials told state news agency Xinhua.