In a race against time, rescue teams in Chongqing, a sprawling city in southwestern China, are scrambling to locate survivors following a catastrophic landslide. With at least eight confirmed dead and 34 others still unaccounted for, the urgency mounts.
The landslide struck on Friday morning in Pengshui County, a region on the periphery of Chongqing municipality. A deluge of rocks and soil cascaded down a slope, engulfing more than ten residential structures in its wake, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.
Rescue operations have successfully extracted ten individuals, all of whom have been transported to local hospitals for medical attention. Additionally, over 1,100 residents have been evacuated to safer areas.
Dramatic images and videos from the Associated Press reveal the overwhelming extent of the disaster. One massive rock, appearing larger than a multistory building, lies amidst the destruction, with debris littered across the rugged landscape. In startling scenes, the roof of one building has collapsed while a vehicle is partially submerged near another.
Providing further insight into the magnitude of the landslide, Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County, disclosed that an estimated 18,000 cubic meters of rock and soil were displaced. The biggest boulder alone accounted for around 3,000 cubic meters, he revealed during a Friday press briefing.
CCTV said persistent rain hit Pengshui from Friday night to Saturday morning and nearly 8 inches of rainfall was recorded at a weather station.
The unstable weather made the rescue operation more challenging, it said.
As the rain eased slightly, rescue teams entered the site to conduct on-the-ground inspections of the collapsed buildings and riverbank areas.
While rescue operations are being carried out on one side of the massive rocks, teams will later need to look beneath them, where they may risk injury if the boulders become unstable and slide, CCTV reported.
Once the search of the surrounding areas is complete, officers will drill into the boulders and fill the holes with explosives to break them apart, it said.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission on Saturday allocated a relief fund of 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) to support the restoration of infrastructure and public service facilities following the disaster.
The rain-triggered landslide occurred near a stretch of the Wujiang River, which cuts through karst mountains peppered with small towns and terraces.
Pengshui County is located in the southeast part of Chongqing, bordering the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.