47 people buried in landslide in China

The landslide occurred before dawn in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing local authorities. CCTV said about 18 households were buried and more than 200 people had been “urgently evacuated” from the area.

Rescuers arrive at the landslide site in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province, China on January 22, 2024. Photo: Weibo

Authorities have launched an emergency response operation involving more than 200 rescue workers as well as dozens of fire trucks and other equipment, according to CCTV. Authorities have not immediately determined whether anyone died in the landslide.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an "all-out" rescue effort, CCTV reported. He "demanded that rescue efforts be organized quickly... and efforts be made to minimize casualties as much as possible," CCTV quoted him as saying.

“It is necessary to properly handle the work of comforting the families of the deceased and resettling the affected people,” Mr. Xi added.

Landslides are common in Yunnan, a remote region of China where steep mountains meet the Himalayan plateau.

State media footage showed Monday's disaster occurring in a rural area surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks.

Weather data showed that the temperature in Tran Hung hovered at minus 4 degrees Celsius on Monday morning.

China has experienced a series of natural disasters in recent months, including some extreme weather events such as sudden heavy rains.

In September 2023, rainstorms in southern Guangxi triggered a landslide that killed at least seven people.

Heavy rains caused a similar disaster near the northern city of Xi'an in August 2023, killing more than 20 people.

And in June 2023, a landslide in southwestern Sichuan province — also a remote mountainous region — killed 19 people.

Mai Anh (according to Xinhua News Agency, AFP, CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/47-nguoi-bi-chon-vui-trong-vu-lo-dat-o-tinh-van-nam-cua-trung-quoc-post281906.html