China Landslide: Rescuers Race Against Storms After Chongqing Disaster
Hundreds of emergency workers search for trapped residents after a massive landslide destroyed buildings in southwestern China’s Chongqing amid heavy rainfall.
Rescue teams search through debris after a massive landslide in Chongqing, China.
A China landslide in southwestern Chongqing has left residents trapped under mud and debris as hundreds of rescuers race against worsening weather conditions to find survivors.
The disaster struck Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county on Friday morning after heavy rainfall triggered a massive slope collapse that destroyed several residential buildings.
Local officials in Hanjia subdistrict reported signs of instability before the disaster, including falling rocks, and issued an emergency warning at around 8am. Authorities evacuated more than 60 residents as a precaution.
However, about an hour later, a major landslide tore through the area, crushing buildings and trapping some residents who were still leaving their homes.
Local media reported that rescuers had saved nine people by midday, and none of those rescued suffered life-threatening injuries. Officials said rescue operations remained active and authorities would provide further casualty updates later.
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China’s Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level 2 national emergency response, the country’s second-highest emergency level for geological disasters.
The ministry dispatched a working group led by Minister Zhang Chengzhong to coordinate rescue operations. It also sent around 100 emergency workers and specialised equipment from the Natural Disaster Engineering Emergency Rescue Centre to support local teams.
Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed thick clouds of dust rising as buildings collapsed, while residents ran away from the scene seeking safety.
Drone footage from the area showed the scale of the destruction, with homes, shops and large sections of land buried under rocks and mud.
Rescuers Face Dangerous Weather Conditions
Emergency teams are working under intense pressure as weather forecasts predict thunderstorms and strong winds across Chongqing on Friday and Saturday.
The incoming storms could complicate rescue efforts by increasing the risk of additional landslides and making conditions more dangerous for emergency workers.
A local furniture shop owner, identified by his surname Pu, said he had lost contact with three employees after the landslide buried his shop.
“I tried calling them right after I heard about the landslide at about 10am. None of them picked up. I am very worried now,” Pu told the South China Morning Post.
Pu, who moved to an evacuation centre, said several buildings, mostly five or six storeys high, had collapsed under massive rocks and layers of mud.
He said authorities were still working to determine how many people remained trapped inside the damaged structures.
Hundreds of rescuers, including firefighters, emergency personnel and medical teams, have reached the site along with fire engines and ambulances to continue search and rescue operations.
The Chongqing disaster is the latest in a series of extreme weather events affecting parts of China, where heavy rainfall has triggered flooding and geological hazards in recent weeks.
