China issues yellow alert for geological disasters

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities on Sunday evening issued a yellow alert for possible geological disasters triggered by rain.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration have warned of risks of rain-induced geological disasters in parts of Liaoning, Jilin, Guizhou, and Xinjiang from 8 pm Sunday to 8 pm Monday.

Residents have been advised to take precautions, especially in areas with hidden dangers.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for geological disasters, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The death toll in a rain-triggered rock and mudslide in the suburbs of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Friday evening has risen to 21, with six others still missing, said rescuers on Sunday.