Firefighters work at the site of a road collapse on a section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou, South China's Guangdong province, May 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
On Wednesday, Liu Yongjin noticed something was wrong when driving at around 2:30 am near Meizhou, Guangdong province.
"As I was driving, I heard people saying that the bridge ahead had collapsed, trapping more than 10 cars. Without a second thought, I pulled over and immediately asked passersby if anyone had called for help or an ambulance," Liu said, Southern Plus, a local news media, reported.
Local authorities reported that a section of a highway collapsed in Meizhou, Guangdong province, a few minutes later.
Thirty-six people have died and 30 others have been injured as of Thursday morning, according to the city government.
After the collapse, several drivers passing by immediately got out of their cars to help before the rescue personnel arrived.
Liu, who was driving back to his hometown in Fujian province from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was one of them, Southern Plus reported.
After stopping his car, Liu got out and headed toward the scene.
He saw that over a dozen cars had fallen from the collapsed section of the highway, with sparks occasionally flying from them.
"In that critical moment, I didn't hesitate, my only focus was on saving lives. I immediately went down there, turning on my cell phone flashlight to guide me through the dark and muddy slope," said Liu.
When he spotted people climbing out of their cars, he rushed to their aid, carrying children and assisting adults safely.
"In total, I managed to rescue six people, three adults and three children, the youngest being just three years old," Liu said.
When rescuers arrived at the scene, Liu rescued the sixth person. After briefing them on the situation, he left the scene and continued his trip home.
