Toll from China Landslide Rises to 11 Dead, 50 People Still Missing
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- The death toll from a landslide in Chongqing, China, has risen to 11, with 50 people still missing.
- Three additional bodies were found in the rubble, and search efforts continue with no recent signs of survivors.
- The collapse, which buried over 10 residential buildings, has presented exceptionally challenging rescue conditions due to the massive volume of debris.
The death toll from a devastating landslide in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing has climbed to 11, as search teams continue to comb through the rubble for the 50 people still missing. Chinese authorities confirmed the grim update on Thursday, following the discovery of three more bodies in recent days.
Despite extensive efforts, there have been no recent signs of life detected after Friday's collapse in Pengshui County. The landslide buried more than 10 residential buildings, and 10 people were initially reported injured. The county government stated that the search operations have been "exceptionally challenging" due to the immense volume of collapsed material, which includes numerous large boulders.
Rescuers have employed heavy machinery and drones to navigate the treacherous debris field. Teams have resorted to blasting some of the larger boulders into smaller pieces to aid in the search and recovery efforts. Pengshui County is situated in the southeastern part of Chongqing, bordering the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.
The ongoing rescue work highlights the scale of the disaster and the difficult conditions faced by emergency responders. The community remains anxious as the search for survivors continues, with the hope of finding more individuals dwindling.
exceptionally challenging
Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.