China landslide death toll climbs to 51 as search continues for 10 missing in Chongqing
The tragedy struck Pengshui County on July 17, when a massive collapse of rocks and earth crashed onto residential buildings along the banks of the Wujiang River, burying homes and trapping dozens of people beneath the debris
The death toll from a devastating landslide in Chongqing, a sprawling city in southwestern China, has climbed to 51, while 10 people remain missing, making it the country’s deadliest landslide disaster in more than a decade.
The tragedy struck Pengshui County on July 17, when a massive collapse of rocks and earth crashed onto residential buildings along the banks of the Wujiang River, burying homes and trapping dozens of people beneath the debris. Local officials had earlier begun evacuating around 1,100 residents after identifying signs of an impending landslide earlier that day.
Search and recovery operations are still underway in the Wujiang River, according to authorities in Pengshui County. The landslide buried more than 10 residential buildings and a minibus, prompting an extensive rescue effort involving multiple agencies.
A total of 10 people were injured in the disaster, with three of them having since been discharged from hospital. Officials said over 1,100 residents were safely evacuated from the danger zone, while efforts are being made to restore normal traffic movement in the affected area in the coming days.
Rescue teams have deployed divers and underwater robotic equipment to aid the search for those still unaccounted for in the river.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all possible efforts to locate the missing, assist survivors, and strengthen measures to prevent similar disasters. The catastrophe is the deadliest landslide in China since the twin landslides that struck Shaanxi province and Shenzhen in 2015.
Authorities said the rescue operation has been complicated by nearly 18,000 cubic meters of debris packed into a confined area, making access difficult for emergency personnel. The incident also highlights the growing threat posed by the summer rainy season in southwest China, where persistent rainfall often destabilizes mountain slopes and increases the risk of landslides and flash floods.
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