China: Eight dead, 34 missing after mountain collapse hits Chongqing
Beijing: Eight people have been confirmed dead, and 34 others remain missing after a rainfall-induced mountain collapse occurred along a section of the Wujiang River in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Friday, local authorities said.
Ten people have been rescued, and search and rescue operations are underway, according to a press briefing held on Friday night, Xinhua news agency reported.
China activated a Level-II national emergency response for geological disasters after a landslide struck southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, causing houses to collapse and leaving people trapped, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Friday.
The geological disaster saw massive amounts of rock and soil wash downslope at 9:08 a.m. on Friday, burying more than 10 residential buildings, while leaving some local residents trapped and unaccounted for. According to local authorities in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County in Chongqing.
The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response and sent a work team to assess the situation and assist local authorities in ensuring the basic living needs of affected residents.
The mountain collapse occurred at about 9:10 a.m. on Friday in Hanjia sub-district of Pengshui County, bringing down multiple residential buildings at the foot of the mountain.
Earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged efforts to carry out search and rescue operations in a scientific manner after the mountain collapse.
Xi stressed the need to prevent secondary disasters, provide proper medical treatment to the injured, and effectively handle the aftermath. Efforts should also be made to identify the cause of the disaster, draw lessons from it, and thoroughly screen for and eliminate geological disaster risks, he said.
Xi said that all regions and relevant departments should strengthen risk monitoring, early warning and inspections to safeguard people’s lives and property.