Rescuers in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing continued to search through rubble on Sunday for survivors of a landslide that killed at least eight people and left 34 missing. The landslide occurred early Friday in Pengshui County, on the outskirts of Chongqing, sending massive amounts of rocks and soil down a slope and burying more than 10 residential buildings.
On Sunday morning, rescue crews were seen carrying a sealed orange bag from the scene. State broadcaster CCTV reported that all residents in 21 buildings within a kilometer radius of the disaster site had been evacuated. Authorities relocated over 1,100 people from homes on slopes and in low-lying areas.
Of the 10 survivors pulled from the debris, one has been discharged from the hospital. The other nine are in stable condition. Eight deceased victims had been recovered.
Rescue efforts were complicated by the risk of secondary collapses, with authorities needing to carefully plan excavation strategies. On Saturday, search dogs and detectors indicated signs of life beneath the rubble, confirming at least one survivor was still trapped.
The landslide involved approximately 18,000 cubic meters of rocks and debris, including one boulder estimated to be around 3,000 cubic meters. Over 120 experts have been deployed to assist in the operation. The rain-triggered slide occurred near a section of the Wujiang River in karst mountains.