GUANGZHOU: Nineteen people were confirmed dead after a road cave-in on an expressway in south China's Guangdong Province on early Wednesday morning, local authorities said.

The cave-in trapped 18 vehicles, reported Xinhua.

Another 30 people were receiving treatment in hospital and were not in life-threatening situations, said authorities in the city of Meizhou.

The cave-in happened around 2.10 am on a section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou. The cave-in area measures 184.3 square metres, according to the government of Meizhou.

More than 500 people have participated in the rescue.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA