China mountain collapse: 14 killed, 5 missing in Sichuan province
1 min read 04 Jun 2023, 10:33 PM ISTFourteen people were killed, and five went missing after landslide in China's South-Western province of Sichuan on Sunday, Global Times reported citing local authorities
PremiumFourteen people were killed, and five went missing after landslide in China's South-Western province of Sichuan on Sunday, Global Times reported citing local authorities.
State broadcaster CCTV said part of a mountain collapsed around 6am near state-owned forest farm at Yongsheng Township in Jinkouhe District of Leshan city.
The disaster sent mud and debris hurtling towards a construction site operated by a local mining company, where it "struck and buried parts of the production and living facilities at the mineshaft platform", the CCTV reported.
Nineteen people were confirmed dead as of 8 pm, the broadcaster said, adding that "search and rescue work has currently ended, and the cause of the... collapse is under investigation".
Over 180 rescue personnel have been deployed to the area, armed with 14 specialised rescue devices, the Global Times said.
Leshan city was hit by heavy rain over the two days before the incident, weather tracking data indicated.
An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the landslide, CCTV said
"There aren't many locals working there; most of the workers and victims are from other places," said another villager, adding that routes in the hamlet had been closed down following the collapse, which was connected to the recent rise in rainfall.
Landslides are a frequent danger in rural and mountainous parts of China, particularly during the rainy summer months.
Remote and densely forested, much of Sichuan is particularly prone to disasters.
Extreme weather triggered a series of landslides in the province in 2017, including one that completely buried the mountain village of Xinmo. In 2019, massive rains again caused a slew of landslides, including one that buried a section of railway under repair and those working on it.
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