China Landslide Kills 8, Leaves 34 Missing in Chongqing

A devastating landslide struck Pengshui County in China's Chongqing municipality on Friday, killing at least eight people and leaving 34 others missing. The disaster occurred around 9:10 a.m. local time, burying a section of a residential and commercial street under a massive amount of rock and dirt.

Rescue efforts are underway, with over 800 emergency personnel deployed to the scene. State broadcaster CCTV reported that 18 people were rescued from the debris, but eight of them were pronounced dead. Footage from the scene showed a chaotic cloud of dust engulfing the area as people fled.

Local officials described the terrain in the affected area as "unpredictable" and steep, noting the presence of dangerous rocks along the cliffside. The government has allocated 50 million yuan (approximately $7.36 million USD) in natural disaster relief funds to support rescue operations and assist affected residents.

Following the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for swift action to determine the cause of the landslide. He also urged authorities to conduct comprehensive inspections to identify and eliminate geological disaster risks and other potential hazards. This tragedy follows a similar landslide in northwestern Gansu province less than two weeks prior, which resulted in 21 fatalities.

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identify and eliminate geological disaster risks and other potential hazards