Emergency teams in China’s Sichuan province are racing against time to locate 28 individuals still missing after a devastating landslide, which also claimed one life and buried several homes.
Nearly 1,000 personnel, including armed police, firefighters, and medical professionals, are involved in the rescue operations in Jinping Village, Junlian County. Utilizing drones and life-detection radars, teams work diligently to find any signs of life amidst the debris. Local officials, leveraging their knowledge of the area, play a critical role in guiding the search efforts.
In the wake of the landslide, two people have been rescued, while approximately 360 others have been evacuated from the affected region after the landslide buried 10 houses and a manufacturing building. Preliminary assessments suggest that heavy rainfall, in combination with local geological conditions, triggered the disaster. These elements caused the landslide to transform into a debris flow, amassing a volume of over 100,000 cubic meters stretching 1.2 kilometers.
Vice Premier Liu Guozhong visited the site, emphasizing the need for relentless efforts to find the missing. He highlighted the ongoing risks posed by unstable slopes and urged for scientific evaluations to ensure the safety of those involved in the rescue operations, preventing further incidents.
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In an effort to support the disaster relief and recovery, China has allocated 80 million yuan. Landslides are not uncommon in China, often resulting from heavy rain or unsafe construction practices. The recent tragedy echoes a similar incident in China’s Yunnan province last year, which led to multiple fatalities.
As rescue efforts continue in Sichuan, the urgency remains high. The dedication of emergency teams underscores the severity of the situation, with the hope of recovering the missing individuals guiding their tireless work.
