Rescue Efforts Continue After Landslide Hits China Village

(MENAFN- IANS) Chengdu, Feb 10 (IANS) Rescuers are working around the clock to locate survivors after a landslide hit a village in Sichuan Province, southwest China.

The landslide occurred at about 11:50 am on Saturday in the mountainous village of Jinping in Junlian County under the city of Yibin. As of Sunday, local authorities confirmed one person to be dead, 28 missing, and two injured.

Media at the scene reported firefighters, equipped with life detectors, advancing through the rubble despite the challenging conditions. They frequently crouched down, using their hands to explore cracks and crevices, meticulously searching for any signs of life.

Radar systems have been deployed on the mountainside to provide real-time monitoring of terrain stability, according to the tunnel emergency rescue team from Yunnan Province, southwest China.

Meanwhile, geological experts are using drones and advanced surveying equipment to provide technical and safety support. At the site of the landslide, excavators and search teams remain steadfast, racing against time in the ongoing search and rescue mission.

Rescue operations have been hampered by slippery conditions due to wet and cold weather, and the region's complex terrain, said a staffer with the fire and rescue brigade in Yibin.

Drone footage on Sunday morning showed a vast collapse zone stretching from the mountain summit to the base. The landslide spans around 100 metres in width, with a vertical drop of over 400 metres and extending 1.2 kilometres, Xinhua news agency reported.

So far, 360 people from 95 households have been evacuated to temporary shelters. The two injured people are receiving treatment.

Sichuan has mobilised 949 personnel from the military, armed police, firefighting, emergency response, transportation, medical, telecommunication, and other forces to carry out or assist with the rescue efforts.

China had allocated 80 million yuan (about $11.16 million) to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in Sichuan.

Some 50 million yuan, allocated by the National Development and Reform Commission from the central budget, will be used to restore infrastructure and public facilities in affected areas, according to authorities.

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