This archive report was first published on 28 July 2019.
Published on July 28, 2019, a landslide in southwest China has left a trail of destruction and loss of life. The death toll in the disaster has risen to 29, with 22 people still missing, according to state media.
The landslide occurred in Shuicheng county, Guizhou province, on Tuesday, burying 21 houses under a thick torrent of mud. Rescue workers have been trying to reach survivors through a huge mound of earth, as seen in footage broadcast by state broadcaster CCTV.
Among the victims were two children and a mother with a baby. A local school has been set up as an emergency medical and rescue centre, with multiple rescue teams and experts still searching for those missing.
The government has allocated 30 million yuan ($4.35 million) for search and rescue efforts in the province, as well as the relocation of victims. Landslides are a frequent danger in rural and mountainous parts of China, particularly after heavy rain, and the country has suffered severe flooding this year.
Notably, this is not the first time Guizhou province has been affected by landslides. In August 2017, at least 30 people were killed in two separate landslides in the same rural province.
