A devastating landslide has struck Jinping village in China’s Sichuan province on Saturday at 11:50 AM (03:50 GMT).
The landslide has resulted to at least one fatality and leaving 28 individuals unaccounted for, as reported by Chinese state media.
The disaster buried ten houses, with rescue teams successfully retrieving two survivors.
In response to the calamity, a command center has been established at the site by the county’s emergency management bureau. President Xi Jinping has mandated an “all-out” effort to rescue those trapped, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Visuals from state media depict a massive cascade of mud and rock descending from a steep mountainside, engulfing parts of the village. Hundreds of emergency personnel are actively engaged in search and rescue operations, and approximately 200 residents have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
President Xi has directed authorities to “do everything possible to search and rescue missing people, minimize casualties, and properly handle the aftermath,” according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Premier Li Qiang has also called for an investigation into potential geological hazards in adjacent areas.
Local media sources indicate that villagers had observed large rocks tumbling down the mountain over the past six months, suggesting prior signs of instability.
Premier Li has emphasized the need for evacuations in areas under threat to prevent further disasters, as reported by the Associated Press, citing Xinhua.
The central government has allocated 50 million yuan ($6.9 million; £5.5 million) to repair infrastructure and restore public services in the affected region.
Southwestern China’s remote and mountainous regions are particularly susceptible to landslides.
In January 2024, a catastrophic landslide in Yunnan province resulted in the deaths of 44 people when a steep cliff collapsed, devastating part of a village.
As rescue efforts continue, authorities are focusing on locating the missing individuals and assessing the stability of the surrounding terrain to prevent additional incidents.
