SHANGHAI (AFP) – A landslide in China’s southwestern Sichuan province triggered by heavy rain has killed at least one person, with nearly 30 more missing, state media said yesterday.
The landslide hit Jinping village on Saturday in the city of Yibin at around 11.50am (0350GMT). As of yesterday morning, “one person has been killed and 28 people are missing”, state news agency Xinhua said.
Two people were saved on Saturday and more than 900 rescuers are attempting to find the rest of the missing people, Xinhua said. Video footage published by state broadcaster CCTV earlier yesterday showed rescuers with flashlights searching through debris in the dark.
“A preliminary study shows this disaster occurred due to the influence of recent prolonged rainfall and geological factors,” CCTV said, citing local authorities.
President Xi Jinping ordered authorities on Saturday to do “everything possible to search for and rescue missing people, minimise casualties, and properly handle the aftermath”.
China has been hit with extreme weather in recent months, with dozens of people killed in floods last year, its warmest on record.
Scientists said climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent.
