It’s been one week since a landslide buried part of a village in Guizhou province’s Shuicheng county, with the death toll rising to 42 as of Tuesday morning. Nine others were reported as missing, according to Xinhua.
Image via @中国消防/Weibo
The rescue operation ended at midnight on Sunday and a memorial service was held the following afternoon at the site of the landslide. As of Saturday night, 40 victims had been rescued. The state-run media agency reported that Beijing earmarked RMB30 million for search and rescue efforts as well as the relocation of victims.
The tragic natural disaster has drawn international attention as the death toll continued to climb in recent days. Twenty-one houses were buried as a result of the sliding mass of earth and rock, exceeding an estimated volume of 2 million cubic meters.
Landslides in China’s south and southwest provinces are, unfortunately, not uncommon. Generally caused by rain (although earthquakes and soil erosion can also trigger landslides), these earthen avalanches pose a serious threat to China’s mountainous villages.
Last month, six people were killed after a landslide buried the first floor of a building in Guangdong province. Thirteen people were asleep inside when it occurred at 2.30am.
PHOTOS: Giant Sinkhole, Landslides Hit Shenzhen
[Cover image via @中国消防/Weibo]
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