Death toll rises to 4 in SW China landslides

GUIYANG -- The death toll from the landslides in Southwest China's Guizhou province on Thursday has risen to four while 17 people remain trapped, the provincial government said.

Two separate landslides struck Changshi and Guowa townships in Dafang county under the city of Bijie on the same day, trapping two and 19, respectively.

As of 9 pm Thursday, the bodies of two trapped people in Changshi and another two in Guowa had been retrieved.

The national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief initiated a Level-IV disaster-relief emergency response, targeting recent severe flooding and geological disasters in Guizhou, particularly the landslides in Bijie.

The commission has dispatched a working group to the affected areas to assess the situations and assist in local relief efforts.

Guizhou activated a Level II emergency response for geological disasters at 2:30 pm, while China's Ministry of Natural Resources raised its emergency response to geological disasters from Level III to Level II at 11 am, and has dispatched a working team to the area to guide rescue operations.

The ministry urged local departments to promptly dispatch working teams to assist in search and rescue operations and provide technical support. It also called for enhanced monitoring and risk assessment.