Rescuers use a heavy duty machine to clear rubble to search for trapped victims at the scene of a landslide in Pengshui county, Southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality on July 19, 2026. Photo: VCG

Eleven people have been killed and 50 others remain missing in a major landslide that struck Hanjia sub-district in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, at around 9 am on July 17, according to local authorities. China Central Television (CCTV) News reported the update on Thursday.

The casualty figures were confirmed after authorities carried out extensive efforts, including collecting clues, registering information at the scene, conducting door-to-door investigations, performing technical verification, and cross-checking and consolidating information, together with progress in the rescue operation.

The rescue operation has now entered an intensive stage. After multiple rounds of life detection and searches, no signs of life have been detected. Search efforts are still underway, and professional personnel have been organized to conduct scientific safety assessments of surrounding affected areas, per CCTV.

Following the disaster, local authorities coordinated emergency response efforts, with multiple professional rescue teams dispatched to Pengshui. An on-site emergency rescue command center was established, and continuous, around-the-clock search and rescue operations have been carried out for days.

The rescue work has been extremely challenging due to the large volume of collapsed material, the large number and size of falling boulders, the limited working space at the site, and poor slope stability. Multiple professional forces have been mobilized, with heavy engineering machinery, life detection equipment, drones and other specialized equipment deployed. While strictly preventing secondary disasters and ensuring the safety of rescuers, teams have carried out rescue operations through targeted blasting and layer-by-layer excavation methods.

Global Times