Landslide kills eight in southwest China as 34 missing

Eight people died and 34 people were still missing after a landslide in a township in southwestern China’s Chongqing city, local government officials said at a news conference.

In an order issued late Friday, President Xi Jinping ordered search and rescue operations to be conducted for the missing and called for an investigation into the cause of the landslide.

Preliminary verification showed that a Pengshui district community worker spotted the scattered fallen rocks around 8 a.m. on Friday and issued an emergency alert.

Authorities ordered more than 60 residents to leave the area, but the landslide occurred at 9:08 a.m. during the evacuation.

The landslide caused several residential buildings to collapse downhill, prompting authorities to urge more than 1,000 nearby residents to leave the area.

As of Friday afternoon, 10 people were injured, two seriously and two in critical condition, the local government said at a press conference.

State television reported that 10 people trapped in the landslide have been rescued so far and are out of danger.

Aerial footage from CCTV showed rocks and debris falling on a group of residential buildings by the river, while people could be seen running away with a thick cloud of dust flying behind them.

It is not yet clear what caused the landslide.

A dashcam video posted on

In the statement made by the ministry, it was stated that the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management activated the second level emergency response and sent a rescue team of 100 people to the scene.

It was stated that 206 personnel and 49 vehicles from China’s fire and rescue force were sent to the region to assist in rescue efforts.

with DPA