BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese language truck driver was praised in native media Saturday for parking his car throughout a freeway and stopping extra automobiles from tumbling down a slope after a bit of the street within the nation’s mountainous south collapsed and killed not less than 48 folks.

Wang Xiangnan was driving Wednesday alongside the freeway in Guangdong province, a significant financial hub in southern China. At round 2 a.m., Wang noticed a number of autos shifting in the other way of the four-lane freeway and a fellow driver quickly knowledgeable him concerning the collapse, native media reported.

Reacting swiftly, Wang, a former soldier, positioned his truck to dam the freeway, successfully stopping dozens of autos from advancing into hazard, Jiupai Information quoted Wang as saying. In the meantime, his spouse acquired out of the truck to alert different drivers concerning the state of affairs, it mentioned.

“I didn’t suppose an excessive amount of. I simply needed to cease the autos,” Wang informed the Chinese language information outlet.

Wang’s brave actions not solely garnered reward from Chinese language social media customers but in addition recognition from the China Employee Improvement Basis.

The inspiration introduced Friday that in partnership with a automotive firm it had awarded Wang 10,000 yuan ($1,414). A charity undertaking linked to tech large Alibaba Group Holding additionally gave an equal quantity to Wang, newspaper Dahe Each day reported. Wang informed the newspaper he would donate the cash to the households of the collapse victims.

Native media additionally reported that one other man had knelt down to stop automobiles from continuing on the freeway.

The accident got here after a month of heavy rains in Guangdong. A few of the 23 autos that plunged into the deep ravine burst in flames, sending up thick clouds of smoke.

About 30 folks had been hospitalized. On Saturday, one was discharged from the hospital, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The others had been enhancing, however one stays in severe situation.

On Saturday, the Meizhou metropolis authorities in Guangdong mentioned in an announcement that authorities would conduct citywide checks on expressways, railways and roads in mountainous areas. A workforce led by the provincial governor is investigating the reason for the collapse, Southcn.com reported.

The Chinese language authorities had despatched a vice premier to supervise restoration efforts and urged higher security measures following calls by President Xi Jinping and the Communist Celebration’s No. 2 official, Premier Li Qiang, to swiftly deal with the tragedy.

The dispatch of Zhang, who can be a member of one of many ruling Communist Celebration’s main our bodies, illustrates the priority over a potential public backlash over the catastrophe, the most recent in a collection of lethal infrastructure failures.