Over 30 people are missing after a major landslide in Sichuan Province in southwestern China Saturday, according to the country’s state-run media outlets. ongoing. Photo by Jiang Hongjing/EPA-EFE/
Feb. 8 (UPI) — Over 30 people are missing after a major landslide in southwestern China on Saturday, according to the country’s state-run media outlets.
The landslide in the country’s Sichuan Province buried 10 homes, leading President Xi Jinping to order “all-out search and rescue efforts,” China’s Xinhua News Agency reported.
Two people have been rescued so far, pulled alive from the debris. The number of deaths and extent of any injuries remain unclear.
In addition to those reported missing, more than 200 others were relocated from the area, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The landslide took place in the village of Jinping around 11:50 a.m. China Standard Time.
The village is part of the City of Yibin, which has a population of more than 4.5 million people.
Federal officials in China also urged responders to quickly determine the cause of the landslide and determine if any further geological hazards exist.
The country has declared the geological disaster a level III emergency, Xinhua reported. The country has four levels, with level I being the most serious.
Authorities have deployed more than 400 emergency personnel, along with 100 vehicles and 75 pieces of equipment in response to the disaster.
Xi urged local and regional politicians to do “everything possible to search and rescue missing people, minimize casualties and properly handle the aftermath,” Xinhua reported.
