A landslide on the outskirts of the city of Chongqingin the southwest of left at least eight dead and 34 missing this Friday after burying nearly ten residential buildings.
The landslide occurred around 9:08 in the morning (local time) in the town of hanjiacounty Pengshuiat the foot of a mountain slope. Images broadcast by the state channel CCTV They showed a mass of earth and rocks collapsing onto a street with homes and businesses, while neighbors fled in a dense cloud of dust. More than 1,100 Residents were evacuated from the area, local authorities and official media reported.
Of the 18 people extracted alive Among the rubble, eight later died; two others were left with serious injuries. The county mayor, Ren Xujiangconfirmed the balance at a press conference and specified that the rescue teams accessed the site with excavators to remove the remains of collapsed structures that blocked a main road. Two buildings of approximately five and 15 stories were damaged but remained standing.
A local official warned that the steep and unstable relief of the area, added to the threat of additional landslides, made it difficult to advance the work. To reduce risks, authorities they cut off the supply of water, electricity and gas within a one kilometer radius of the affected area.
He Ministry of Emergency Management activated level 2 of the national geological disaster response—the second highest in the Chinese system—and deployed more than 800 troops on the ground. The government also sent more than 8,000 aid items, including tents, folding beds and emergency kits to displaced families.
The president Xi Jinping ordered to investigate the causes of the disaster, draw lessons and eliminate other latent geological dangers in the country. He Treasuryin coordination with the Emergency Managementallocated 50 million yuan (7.36 million dollars) to sustain search operations and provide assistance to the victims.
Pengshui county, bordering the provinces of Hubei and Guizhouit is crossed by the river Wujiang between karst mountains, a type of landscape prone to soil instability after periods of intense rain. The incident occurred less than two weeks after another landslide in the northwestern province of Gansu, which left 21 dead and 12 missing.
Source: Infobae
