China: At least 11 dead, dozens missing in Yunnan landslide
23rd January 2024
Rescuers in China are racing to find dozens of people who are still left missing after a landslide struck a city in Yunnan province.
The landslide in Zhaotong occurred at 05:51 local time (21:51 GMT) on Monday, trapping 47 people and killing 11.
President Xi Jinping has ordered an “all-out” rescue in the area which is experiencing sub-zero temperatures.
Preliminary investigations show the landslide resulted from a collapse in a steep cliff, state media reported.
The collapsed mass measured approximately 100m (328ft) in width, 60m in height, with an average thickness of around 6m, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing city authorities.
More than 500 people were evacuated from their homes and nearly 1,000 rescue workers were dispatched to the site. Chinese vice-premier Zhang Guoqing reportedly led a group to the site to guide rescue operations.
“Search and rescue efforts persisted through the night,” firefighter Li Shenglong told state news outlet Xinhua.
One of the villagers told local media that most of the residents were either elderly or children. Another resident told local news outlet Jimu News that the landslide happened while many people were still asleep on Monday morning.
“It was very loud, and there was also a shake, it felt like a big earthquake,” she said.
Video clips shared on social media showed rescuers walking on piles of rubble against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. Personal belongings are seen scattered among the collapsed masonry.
The remote, mountainous region in southwest China is prone to landslides. In January 2013, at least 18 people were killed in a landslide in the same county.
Separately, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Wushi county in China’s Xinjiang at about 02:00 local time on Tuesday.
State broadcaster CCTV said no casualties have been reported, but some homes have been damaged and some areas had their power supplies cut.
Source: BBC