Eight killed, 34 missing after landslide in China

Rescue teams continued searching for survivors on Saturday after a landslide in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality killed at least eight people and left 34 others missing.

The landslide struck Pengshui County on Friday morning when a huge mass of rocks and soil rushed down a hillside, burying more than 10 residential buildings, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Ten people were rescued and taken to hospital, while more than 1,100 residents have been evacuated from the area.

Photos and video from the scene showed massive boulders scattered across the steep hillside.

One of the rocks appeared larger than a multi-storey building. Several homes were badly damaged, with one building’s upper section crushed and a car partially buried under debris.

Officials said the landslide involved around 18,000 cubic metres of rocks and debris.

The largest single boulder measured about 3,000 cubic metres, according to Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County.

Rescue efforts were made more difficult by heavy rain, which continued from Friday night into Saturday morning. CCTV reported that nearly 19.2 centimetres (about eight inches) of rainfall was recorded at a local weather station.

As the rain eased, rescue workers resumed ground searches around collapsed buildings and along the nearby riverbank.

State media reported that rescuers are currently searching around the giant rocks before moving underneath them, where unstable boulders could pose a serious risk.

After checking surrounding areas, teams plan to drill into the largest rocks and use controlled explosives to break them apart and continue the search.

Search dogs have also been deployed to help locate survivors trapped beneath the debris.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 30 million yuan (about US$4.4 million) in emergency funding to help restore damaged infrastructure and public services in the affected area.

The landslide occurred near the Wujiang River, which flows through the mountainous region of Pengshui County in southeastern Chongqing, close to the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.