Chongqing activates Level IV flood response after landslide buries homes in Pengshui

An hour after a landslide struck Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county in Chongqing on Friday morning, the city activated a municipal Level IV emergency response for flood and drought disaster prevention covering Pengshui and 24 other districts and counties.

The response came at 10 am. Meteorological authorities had forecast that heavy rainfall would sweep Chongqing from west to east between daytime on Friday and nighttime on Saturday.

The period of intense precipitation will run from 8 pm on Friday to 8 am on Saturday, including heavy rain in short bursts, with a maximum hourly precipitation of 60 to 90 millimeters and thunderstorm gales of level 8 to 10.

According to forecasts issued by Chongqing's hydrological monitoring general station, the water levels of some small and medium-sized rivers face a high risk of rising water from 8 am on Friday to 8 am on Saturday. Pengshui is expected to have a high-to-extreme risk of sudden flooding during the period.

The landslide buried several residential buildings. Xinhua reported that as of 2 pm on Friday, 10 trapped people had been rescued. None of them are in life-threatening danger. More than 1,100 residents around the collapse site have been evacuated safely. Water, electricity and gas supplies have been cut off within a one-kilometer radius of the accident area to facilitate hazard inspections. Over 800 rescuers are working on-site.

Rescue searches are underway. It is still unknown how many people are trapped.