Landslide leaves 7 missing in China’s Guangzhou
Guangzhou: Rain-triggered landslide left seven people missing in Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, on Wednesday morning, local authorities said.
A total of 14 people were trapped in the landslide that occurred at about 8.30 a.m. in Dayuan village in the city’s Baiyun District, with multiple houses damaged, according to the district’s emergency management bureau.
As of noon, rescuers had pulled seven of them from the debris, all in stable condition, Xinhua news agency reported.
An on-site rescue headquarters has been established to coordinate rescue and relief, treatment of the injured, and evacuation of affected residents. As of 5 p.m., a total of 996 residents had been evacuated.
Baiyun District has deployed 607 rescue personnel and mobilised 733 pieces of rescue equipment, including excavators, life detectors, and emergency communication support vehicles. Additionally, 2,200 emergency and epidemic prevention supplies, such as tents and raincoats, were allocated.
Rescue work is still underway.
On Tuesday, torrential rains disrupted traffic across highways and rural roads in south China’s Guangdong Province, prompting authorities to ramp up emergency response efforts as flood risks intensify.
Three expressway sections, six national or provincial highway sections, and 25 rural roads remain closed as of 5 p.m. Tuesday due to heavy rainfall, according to the provincial transport department.
Emergency crews have been dispatched to repair damaged roads.
Guangdong raised its emergency flood response to Level II — the second-highest level in China’s four-tier system — at 2 p.m. Tuesday, after meteorological and hydrological forecasts warned of continued heavy rainfall and rising river levels.
By 10 a.m., 16 rivers across the province had exceeded warning levels.
In south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, authorities reported that the flood levels at three hydrological stations had surpassed warning thresholds. The Nankang hydrological station on the Nankang River has recorded the highest flood level since 2017, and the Xinlong station on the Wulai River has reported its highest level since 2018, according to the regional hydrology centre.
