Rescuers race to find survivors after China landslide kills at least 8

Rescue operations are underway in Pengshui County, southwestern China, where a devastating landslide on Friday morning buried more than 10 residential buildings, killing at least eight people and leaving 34 missing. The disaster struck the outskirts of Chongqing municipality, burying homes under massive amounts of rocks and soil.

Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors amidst the rubble. Ten people have been rescued and hospitalized, while over 1,100 residents have been evacuated. Photos from the scene depict the scale of destruction, with one fallen rock appearing larger than a multi-story building and debris scattered across the steep terrain. The landslide involved approximately 18,000 cubic meters of material, with the largest single rock estimated at 3,000 cubic meters.

Persistent heavy rainfall exacerbated the situation, with Pengshui County recording nearly 8 inches of rain from Friday night to Saturday morning. This unstable weather poses significant challenges to the ongoing rescue efforts. Teams are conducting on-the-ground inspections and plan to search beneath the unstable boulders, a process that carries inherent risks.

In response to the tragedy, China's National Development and Reform Commission announced on Saturday the allocation of a 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) relief fund. This funding is intended to support the restoration of infrastructure and public service facilities impacted by the rain-triggered landslide, which occurred near the Wujiang River.

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The landslide contained about 18,000 cubic meters of rocks and debris, and the largest single rock was around 3,000 cubic meters.