State Media on Thursday said the death toll from a highway collapse in southern China has risen to 36.

Xinhua said 30 people were also injured, adding that the injuries were not life threatening. 

State news agency Xinhua said that a stretch of road between Meizhou city and Dabu county in Guangdong province caved in, which resulted in casualties.

According to State Media Xinhua, the incident caused over 20 vehicles to become trapped and involved a total of 54 people.

It reported that the collapse was a natural geological disaster caused by the impact of persistent heavy rain.

Reports have it that Guangdong, a densely populated industrial powerhouse, has been lashed by rainstorms in recent weeks, causing severe flooding and landslides in some areas.

The downpours have been much heavier than would normally be expected this time of year and have been linked to accelerating climate change.