Updated 01.58 | Published 01.31
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full screen Parts of a highway collapsed in Guangdong province in southern China. Photo: Wang Ruiping/Xinhua/AP/TT
A quick-witted Chinese truck driver is being hailed for parking his vehicle across a highway, preventing more cars from falling victim to a landslide that killed a total of 48 people.
The road collapse, in which a nearly 18-meter-long section of the road collapsed, occurred on Wednesday in Guangdong Province in southern China.
Wang Xiangnan was driving along the highway when another truck driver informed him of the accident. He reacted quickly and blocked the highway with the truck – effectively stopping dozens of vehicles from falling over the edge, according to local media.
Wang Xiangnan is awarded 10,000 yuan, equivalent to around SEK 15,200, from a foundation. A charity project linked to the internet conglomerate Alibaba gives an equal amount.
The truck driver will donate the money to the families of the accident victims, he tells local media.