China Landslide: Rescuers Search for Almost 50 Trapped in Yunnan, Experiencing 500 Evacuations

A landslide that occurred on Monday in a remote and hilly area of southwest China resulted in the burial of at least 47 persons. Zhenxiong County in Yunnan province was struck by the predawn avalanche, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.

According to official broadcaster CCTV, some eight hundred people were immediately evacuated from the region and about eighteen dwellings were buried. According to the report, China has sent about 200 rescue trucks and almost 1,000 rescue personnel to the spot. A workgroup headed by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing is at the scene to oversee rescue efforts. Over 500 people have been taken out of harm’s way.

‘ALL-OUT’ RESCUE ASSISTANCE
A local broadcaster posted footage of emergency personnel in orange jumpsuits and helmets forming lines outside a fire station on social media, as snowflakes fluttered in the air. In other photos, rescuers could be seen rummaging among enormous heaps of crumbling stone, some of which included personal items. Whether someone had perished in the landslide was not immediately stated by the authorities.

According to CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out” rescue operations. According to the broadcaster, Xi “demanded that rescue forces are organized quickly… and efforts made to reduce casualties as far as possible.” It was “essential to appropriately handle the work of consoling the families of the deceased and resettling affected people,” he said. A fireman is reportedly seen in a CCTV photograph being pulled from a destroyed house by a trapped villager.

In Yunnan, a remote and sometimes destitute area of China where steep mountain ranges butt against the Himalayan plateau, landslides are frequent occurrences. The incident on Monday happened in a remote location surrounded by snow-dusted, towering peaks, according to video released by official media. According to meteorological statistics, Zhenxiong had temperatures on Monday morning that were mostly around – four degrees Celsius. When the landslide occurred at 5:51 am, there was no official explanation given at the time. According to Xinhua, investigations are underway to determine what transpired.