Working team sent to SW China's Sichuan for rescue after flash flood, mudslide

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Emergency Management Saturday dispatched a working team to Southwest China's Sichuan province to guide rescue efforts after a flash flood and mudslide.

The ministry said it has also sent 268 people and 65 vehicles from the Sichuan Fire and Rescue Department and 55 people and 35 sets of equipment from China Anneng Construction Group Co Ltd to help in the rescue efforts.

Two people were killed, eight injured, and 12 others were missing after a flash flood and mudslide took place early in the morning on Saturday in Ridi village, Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture.

A tunnel bridge collapsed during a flash flood and mudslide. The collapse caused three vehicles to fall, carrying six people. One person was rescued, and five others remained missing as of 11 am Saturday, local authorities said.

The bridge connecting two tunnels on an expressway collapsed at around 3:30 am Saturday at the section between Kangding city and Luding county of the Ya'an-Kangding expressway, according to the Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture's publicity department.