Landslide buries residents in southwest China's Chongqing

A landslide struck Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County in Chongqing, southwestern China, on Friday, July 17, 2026, burying an unknown number of residents and causing multiple riverside residential buildings to collapse. The incident prompted an immediate emergency response, with rescue workers searching for survivors amidst the debris.

Authorities received preliminary indications of falling rocks around 8 a.m. local time, leading to an emergency warning and the evacuation of over 60 residents. However, the landslide occurred at 9:08 a.m. during the evacuation process, trapping some individuals. The exact number of people caught in the disaster is still under confirmation.

As of Friday afternoon, nine people had been pulled from the rubble. According to the official Xinhua news agency, none of the rescued individuals were in life-threatening condition. Rescue operations are ongoing, with China's Ministry of Emergency Management activating a level-two emergency response and dispatching a 100-member rescue team, supported by 206 personnel and 49 vehicles from the fire and rescue force.

Aerial footage captured by state broadcaster CCTV showed vast amounts of rock and debris cascading onto the residential buildings. Thick plumes of dust billowed into the air as people were seen fleeing the affected area. Dashcam footage verified by Reuters depicted a section of the hillside giving way, burying homes and businesses below and sending debris across a road, forcing vehicles to halt.