At least one person has died and 28 others remain missing after a devastating landslide hit Jinping village in Sichuan province, southwestern China, on Saturday morning, according to Chinese state media. The disaster, which occurred at 11:50 AM local time (03:50 GMT), buried 10 houses and trapped several residents. Two people have been rescued so far.
A command center has been set up at the scene, with hundreds of emergency workers engaged in a large-scale search and rescue operation. According to China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, around 200 people have been evacuated as authorities assess the risks of further collapses.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an “all-out” effort to rescue those still trapped, instructing emergency teams to prioritize minimizing casualties and ensuring proper management of the aftermath. State media images show a massive section of mud and rock cascading down a steep mountainside, engulfing what appears to be a small village.
Premier Li Qiang has also urged authorities to investigate potential geological hazards in the surrounding areas. Reports from local media suggest that villagers had observed large rocks rolling down the mountain frequently over the past six months, raising concerns about the area’s stability. Li has called for the evacuation of residents at risk to prevent further tragedy.
To aid recovery efforts, China’s central government has allocated 50 million yuan ($6.9 million; £5.5 million) for infrastructure repairs and public services in the affected region.
Southwestern China’s mountainous terrain is prone to landslides, particularly during heavy rainfall or seismic activity. In January 2024, a landslide in Yunnan province claimed dozens of lives when a steep cliff collapsed, destroying part of a village. Eleven years earlier, another landslide in the same region killed at least 18 people.
Rescue efforts in Sichuan continue as authorities race against time to locate survivors and assess the full extent of the disaster.
