According to authorities, 34 people are still missing after 10 residential building were completely buried when massive amounts of rocks and soil washed downslope
A huge landslide in a ‘megacity’ in China has left at least eight people dead with 34 still missing, with more than one thousand residents forced to evacuate.
The landslide has taken place on the outskirts of the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, according to local officials and state media reports, occurring at around 9:08 a.m. in Pengshui County on the outer edge of the Chongqing municipality.
According to reports, massive amounts of rocks and soil washed downslope, burying more than 10 residential buildings – 10 people were rescued from the debris, including two who were seriously injured.
Chinese President Xi Jinping asked authorities to determine the cause of the disaster.
The devastating landslide contained about 18,000 cubic meters (636,000 cubic feet) of rocks and debris, and the largest single rock was around 3,000 cubic meters (106,000 cubic feet), said Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County, at a news conference.
Wang also warned of persistent risk of further collapse under extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall or prolonged periods of clear and hot weather.
Water, electricity and gas supplies were cut off within a one-kilometer (0.6-mile) radius of the landslide to prevent further disruptions. Over 800 rescuers worked on site, a local government statement said.Drones were used to conduct surveys of the landslide sites.
Images by CCTV showed part of a mountainside collapsing onto a residential area. Several buildings were located next to the collapse site, while rescue crews combed through the debris.
Rescue efforts were hindered by the unstable terrain and the risk of another landslide – footage on social media showed a team of rescuers pulled a survivor out of the debris.
Large slabs of rock had slid beside buildings into a waterway below. Two buildings that looked about five and 15 stories high were damaged but still standing.
The Chinese settlement is a colossal urban wonder sprawling over 31,815 square miles โ an area matching the size of Austria.
Home to a staggering 32 million people, it boasts one of the most mesmerising geographical wonders on earth. Chongqing’s architecture has been compared to a “city in three dimensions” because of its complex, multi-tiered layout.
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