SZ girl recounts moments of catastrophic collapse

Due to a flat tire, a driver surnamed Rao realized that he had crossed a collapsed section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway. Though feeling panic and surrounded by chaos, Rao and his family chose to stay and assist others rather than continuing their journey.

The family attempted to alert drivers on the opposite side of the road of the hazard, but it was only when Rao’s father-in-law, Huang Jiandu, knelt on the road that they managed to prevent more vehicles from approaching.

Shenzhen student Rao Ruiyu (L), her grandpa Huang Jiandu and her little brother. File photo

Rao Ruiyu, a grade 8 student at Longgang Foreign Language School Group’s Xinyazhou School, recorded her experience as one of the family members.

Rao Ruiyu wrote, “We were all asleep around 2 a.m., except for my father who was driving. A sudden tremor woke me. My mother and grandma were crying. Initially, I thought our vehicle had been hit, but then I realized that the road behind us had collapsed.”

The girl’s father recalled that he was transporting his family of seven — his wife, two children, his mother, and parents-in-law — in a seven-seater vehicle.

Believing the dark expanse that he saw ahead was only a flooded area, he accelerated and moved into the left lane. It was only after their tire had blown out that he understood they might have crossed a collapsing section of the road.

The father stopped the car after the tire had blown out and called the police. Amidst the chaos, Rao’s family gradually regained composure and began to understand what was transpiring.

The girl’s mother, Huang Manqiu, urged them to use their phone lights to warn drivers. However, their appeals went unheeded.

Seeing numerous cars driving over and falling one after another, Rao’s grandpa took a courageous step — he crossed the guardrail and knelt on the road.

This selfless act successfully halted vehicles and potentially saved many lives. Later on, more and more vehicles stopped.

Despite feeling frightened and at a loss, Rao Ruiyu also joined in the rescue efforts by shielding the injured with an umbrella and using her school uniform to provide them with warmth.

“At that time, there was no time to be afraid nor did we have the luxury to think about the danger. I think, given the circumstances at that time, anyone would make the same choice,” Huang Jiandu said.

Rao Ruiyu wrote that she saw someone climbing up from the collapsed road, but also witnessed some tragic losses.

She never imagined that she would be confronted with such a terrifying disaster, but the experience taught her to remain calm during emergencies and find solutions. She is grateful to her family for imparting invaluable lessons in resilience.