Chinese rescuers searched for at least 29 people after a landslide on Saturday in southwestern Sichuan province buried 10 houses and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate, reports said. Following a landslide in Junlian county, the Ministry of Emergency Management deployed hundreds of rescuers, including firefighters. Two people were rescued alive, albeit injured, and around 200 others were relocated, according to state broadcaster CCTV. A manufacturing facility was also buried under the debris.
Authorities stated that the disaster was triggered by recent heavy rainfall combined with geological conditions. These factors turned the landslide into a debris flow, with debris piling up over a stretch of about 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) and totaling more than 100,000 cubic meters (3.5 million cubic feet).
The total number of missing individuals is still being confirmed by authorities.
A local resident told BeijingNews that rocks had been frequently rolling down the mountain since the second half of 2024, with some sounding like firecrackers. The villager mentioned that geologists had inspected the area late last year, according to the state-run newspaper.
President Xi Jinping expressed his concern and urged authorities to make every effort to search for the missing people and minimize casualties, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang asked for an investigation and inspection of potential geological hazard risks in nearby areas. Li also said residents who were under threat should be evacuated to prevent another disaster, according to Xinhua. China has allocated 80 million yuan (about $11 million) to support disaster relief and recovery efforts.
