26 dead, 9 missing in SW China landslide

The death toll from a landslide in southwest China’s Guizhou Province on Monday morning rose to 26 on Thursday, with eight people injured and nine still missing, according to local authorities.

Rescue workers continue to search for the missing.

More than 2,800 people, including local police, fire fighters, medical workers and local government staff, along with 110 emergency vehicles, 20 life detectors and eight drones have been involved in the rescue, the rescue headquarters said.

After searching an area of nearly 150,000 square meters and clearing more than 200,000 cubic meters of debris, no signs of life have been detected.

The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Civil Affairs have jointly allocated a relief fund of 16 million yuan (2.4 million U.S. dollars) to the landslide-hit county. A total of 289 residents from 80 households have been evacuated after the landslide.

The landslide occurred at about 10:40 a.m. Monday in Zhangjiawan Township, Nayong County. More than 600,000 cubic meters of rock and mud fell 200 meters covering the village.

The province has seen continuous rainstorms over the past week as a result of two recent typhoons.