China issues emergency response to Guizhou landslide

BEIJING - China issued a grade-IV emergency response on Monday following a landslide in the city of Bijie, southwest China's Guizhou province.

The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have sent officials to the area to assist disaster relief work.

The landslide occurred at about 10:40 a.m. in Zhangjiawan township, affecting 34 households. Two people have died and a further 25 are missing.

Local civil affairs authorities sent tents, quilts and camp beds to the site after the disaster.

A grade-IV response, the lowest in China's emergency response system, means a 24-hour alert, daily damage reports, and the allocation of money and relief materials within 48 hours.