Highway collapse in China 'leaves 19 dead'

A file photo of recovery workers in Guangdong Province
China's Guangdong province has been hit by heavy downpours in recent days. -AP

A section of a highway has collapsed in southern China leaving at least 19 people dead, state broadcaster CCTV has reported.

The area has been experiencing heavy rains in recent days.

A section of the road almost 18m long collapsed around 2am local time on Wednesday, according to authorities in Meizhou city in Guangdong province. 

In total, 18 vehicles were impacted by the collapse. Rescue workers have taken 30 people to the hospital, the CCTV report said.