Over 1,100 others have been forced to relocate following the landslide on Friday, July 17
Credit: He Penglei/China News Service/VCG via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A landslide in Chongqing, China buried more than 10 buildings and displaced more than 1,100 residents on Friday, July 17
- Rescuers have recovered eight bodies and saved ten people while at least 34 others remain missing after the disaster
- Authorities have sent disaster relief supplies and pledged $4.4 million to rebuild infrastructure in the affected area
At least eight people have died and dozens more remain missing following a landslide in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing.
The disaster, which left multiple buildings buried underneath rocks and debris, occurred in Pengshui County at around 9:08 a.m. local time on Friday, July 17, NBC News, Associated Press and Reuters reported.
Ten people were rescued from the landslide, including two people who were seriously injured, while over 1,100 others were forced to relocate from the area.
Credit: He Penglei/China News Service/VCG via Getty
Eight people have died and 34 others remain missing following the landslide, Reuters reported, citing local government officials.
Photos obtained by AP show a large part of a mountain that collapsed onto the buildings below. Huge rocks can be seen covering a portion of roadway and crushing buildings along a section of the Wujiang River.
According to NBC News, one of the damaged buildings had its top part crushed under the weight of a heavy rock and a car was half-buried near another crumbling building.
More than 10 residential buildings were covered by the falling rocks, the outlet reported, citing local state broadcaster CCTV.
Wang Chuanjun, the head of Pengshui County’s Planning and Natural Resources department, said at a news conference, per NBC, that at least 18,000 cubic meters of rocks and debris fell onto buildings as a result of the landslide.
Recent rain in the area may have triggered the landslide, AP and NBC News reported. Persistent rainfall on Friday night to Saturday morning reportedly made subsequent rescue operations challenging.
Credit: He Penglei/China News Service/VCG via Getty
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Chuanjun warned that heavy rain and extreme weather conditions could put additional areas alongside the mountain near the initial landslide at risk of collapsing. Authorities have sent out drones to survey the landslide area, per AP.
Local and national authorities have since stepped in to provide aid to those in the area. Authorities in China have sent more than 13,000 disaster relief items to the area affected by the landslide, including tents, folding beds and family emergency kits, AP reported.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission also pledged $4.4 million (30 million yuan) on Saturday, July 18, to help support the rebuilding of infrastructure and public facilities in the area following the landslide, according to NBC News.
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