Rescue operations underway after deadly landslide in Chongqing
Rescue crews are racing to find survivors following a devastating landslide in Chongqing, China, that has resulted in at least eight deaths and left 34 people missing, reports BritPanorama.
The landslide struck Pengshui County on Friday morning, burying over 10 residential buildings beneath massive amounts of rocks and soil, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Ten individuals were rescued but required hospitalization, while more than 1,100 residents have been evacuated from the impacted area.
Eyewitness accounts, along with videos from the Associated Press, reveal the scale of destruction, with one rock surpassing the height of a multistory building and debris scattered across the steep terrain. A vehicle was spotted partially buried beside a collapsed structure.
The landslide, which consisted of approximately 18,000 cubic meters of material, featured a single rock weighing about 3,000 cubic meters, as detailed by Wang Chuanjun, the head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County, during a press briefing on Friday.
Persistent rain from Friday night into Saturday morning further complicated the rescue efforts, with a recorded rainfall of 19.2 centimeters (nearly 8 inches) causing unstable conditions. As the weather slightly improved, rescue teams were able to access the site to assess the collapsed buildings and nearby riverbanks.
Currently, teams are conducting search operations on one side of the entrenched rocks, but they face risks due to the potential for further instability. Once they have searched the surrounding areas, responders plan to drill into the boulders and use explosives to fragment the debris, as reported by CCTV.
In response to the emergency, China’s National Development and Reform Commission has allocated a relief fund of 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) to assist in the recovery and restoration of public infrastructure following this incident.
The landslide occurred near a section of the Wujiang River, which traverses karst mountains that are characterized by small towns and terraced landscapes.
Pengshui County is situated in the southeast part of Chongqing, bordering the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.
