A view of the Zhenxiong county in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province after the landslide on January 22, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded an all-out search and rescue for those who remain missing following a landslide in Zhenxiong county, Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Eight missing people were found dead on Monday as of press time, according to media reports. 

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, gave the order after the landslide struck the county on Monday. Xi ordered prompt rescue efforts to minimize casualties. He also demanded strengthened monitoring and a scientific approach in search and rescue efforts to guard against secondary disasters, as well as ensuring appropriate measures are taken to console the families of the victims and resettle those affected.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management have immediately allocated 50 million yuan ($6.95 million) of central natural disaster relief funds to support local relief work.

A total of 47 people from 18 families were buried following a deadly landslide struck Liangshui village, Zhenxiong county, Yunnan, at around 6 am on Monday based on a preliminary investigation, according to the authorities.

A villager from Liangshui said that their homes are just a few minutes away from the landslide's impact zone. The villagers who managed to escape are gathered on the roadside, while villagers from other areas have traveled to the area to help, including bringing boiling water to provide warmth, according to Jimu News on Monday.

"We were all asleep at that time, in the early morning when it was still dark. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and the ground shook. It felt like a major earthquake," the villager told Jimu News.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management has initiated a level-III emergency response for geological disasters, while the office of the national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief has initiated a level-IV emergency response, after the landslide, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management on Monday.

The area experienced heavy snowfall on Sunday night. Although the snowfall has decreased, it has yet to stop on Monday morning, with the highest temperature hovering around 0 C. The two villager groups affected by the landslide have scattered houses built along the mountainside to the foot of the mountain, with a large difference in altitude and steep slopes, according to China Central Television.

More than 200 residents have been urgently evacuated, Yunnan authorities said. Currently, the search and rescue operation is underway, with 33 machines conducting rescue operations at the scene. 

A total of 812 personnel from the national fire rescue forces and 102 personnel from the national safety production professional rescue teams have rushed to the scene to participate in the rescue, said the emergency management ministry.

The National Health Commission has arranged for the emergency medical rescue teams and experts from neighboring provinces to be prepared and ready to provide support as needed.

An employee from the local emergency management office told media that the rescue efforts are underway, but heavy snowfall has caused the roads to become icy, making the rescue operation even more difficult.

Local officials have coordinated their efforts and made specific arrangements for tasks including casualty investigation, search and rescue of trapped individuals, relocation of the affected population, and prevention of secondary disasters. 

Global Times