Landslide in Ethnic Minority Area of Yunnan Province Buries 47 People... "9 Dead"

Landslide rescue site in Yunnan Province on the 21st. Photo by China CCTV broadcast screen capture

On the morning of the 22nd, a massive landslide struck a village in the ethnic minority region of Yunnan Province in southwestern China, resulting in 4 deaths and about 40 people missing.

According to local media including China Central Television (CCTV), at around 5:51 a.m. (local time) that day, a landslide occurred in Liangshui Village, Tangfang Town, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, burying 47 people from 18 households distributed from the mountainside to the foothills.

CCTV reported at 6 p.m. that day that 9 of the buried individuals were found dead. About 500 nearby residents were urgently evacuated.

CCTV cited local residents saying, "There was heavy snowfall the night before." The local daytime high temperature was around 0 degrees Celsius. The landslide area is steep, and with the snowfall, road icing and equipment access delays added difficulties to the rescue operations.

The central government leadership of China ordered an "all-out rescue" and prevention of secondary disasters. President Xi Jinping stated, "We must quickly organize rescue capabilities to search and rescue the missing with full force, and make every effort to reduce casualties. Monitoring and warning should be strengthened, and scientific search and rescue should be conducted to prevent secondary disasters."

President Xi also emphasized thorough care for the families of the victims and the relocation of residents. Premier Li Qiang said, "The accident site is a high-altitude cold mountainous area and an ethnic minority region. We must promptly relocate those at risk and carry out resettlement work well to ensure the safety of people's lives and property and maintain social stability."

According to Xinhua News Agency, Chinese authorities dispatched a work team led by Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing to the Yunnan site to direct the rescue operations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.