No fewer than 24 people were killed in China in the early hours of Wednesday afternoon after a section of mountainside highway collapsed following several days of persistent rain.

According to the BBC, the incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. local time when a 17.9 metres portion of the Meilong expressway in the Guangdong province collapsed, killing two dozen people while sending at least 30 others to hospital.

Meanwhile, the Chinese state media reported that the 30 admitted to the hospital are “not currently at risk.” Initial reports by the state media said the number of casualties was 19, but local authorities later confirmed the figure as 24, the BBC reported.

Footage captured immediately after the collapse showed flames and black smoke coming from below the highway, with authorities saying at least 20 cars plunged into the crumbled portion of the road.

The cars could be seen stacked on top of one another in one centre of the breakaway section, with smoke billowing from vehicles. Authorities are yet to officially comment on the cause of the collapse in China’s most populous province.

Last week, Guangdong province suffered from flash floods, which left four people dead and 110,000 others displaced.