Landslide in mountainous southwest China's Yunnan province buries 47 villagers

At least 47 villagers are buried in China’s southwest Yunnan province after a landslide on early Monday. A search and rescue operation continue in the region.

Sharing a video of rescue operation, People’s Daily, China, cited local authorities saying, “47 villagers were buried in a landslide that occurred in Zhenxiong County of Zhaotong City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province on early Monday.”

47 villagers were buried in a landslide that occurred in Zhenxiong County of Zhaotong City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province on early Monday, local authorities said. A search and rescue operation is currently underway. pic.twitter.com/ugDPG8XiMA

— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) January 22, 2024

As per reports, the landslide took place before 6 am in the village of Liangshui, under the town of Tangfang in Zhenxiong County. The rescue efforts were underway to find victims in 18 separate houses, said the country publicity department.

The cause of the landslide was not immediately known.

The state media broadcaster said more than 200 people have been evacuated from the region.

A report by Xinhua news agency said the number of villagers buried was "unknown".

Yunnan is a remote region of China and landslide in common there as it is situated in the region where steep mountain ranges butt against the Himalayan plateau.

China landslide on Monday came just a little over a month after the country witnessed most powerful earthquake in years that hit the northwest in a remote region between Gansu and Qinghai province.

At least 149 people were killed in the 6.2-magnitude temblor that struck on 18 December, 2023, reducing homes to rubble and triggering heavy mudslides that inundated two villages in Qinghai province.

Nearly 1,000 were injured and more than 14,000 homes were destroyed in China’s deadliest earthquake in nine years.

With inputs from agencies