A section of a highway in southern China has collapsed, causing more than a dozen vehicles to tumble down a slope. At least 48 people were killed and 30 others injured.

China Central Television says one section of the expressway of about 18 meters, which winds through a mountainous part of Meizhou city in Guangdong Province, gave way early on Wednesday. It says 23 vehicles went off the edge of the road.

Video posted on social media shows the collapse site engulfed in flames and smoke.

Wednesday is the beginning of a five-day holiday in China marking May Day, and the country's roads and expressways are jam-packed with traffic.
President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out efforts to search and rescue for people who are still missing and to treat the injured.

A series of floods and landslides have occurred in Guangdong Province since early April, caused by record rainfall. Heavy rain was reported at the time of the accident.