Swift rescue urged after landslide in Chongqing

President Xi Jinping on Friday urged efforts to carry out search and rescue operations in a scientific manner after a deadly landslide struck a county in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, killing eight people.

The collapse occurred at around 9:10 am on Friday in Hanjia subdistrict of Pengshui county, leaving people trapped and missing. By press time, 34 people remained missing.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attached great importance to the disaster and made important instructions.

He urged efforts to organize search and rescue operations in a scientific manner, prevent secondary disasters, properly treat the injured and handle follow-up work.

Xi also called for identifying the cause of the disaster, drawing lessons from it and conducting thorough inspections to eliminate geological and other disaster risks.

He emphasized that all regions and relevant departments should further fulfill their safety responsibilities, strengthen monitoring and early warning, step up patrols to identify and eliminate risks, and meticulously implement all measures to effectively safeguard people's lives and property.

Premier Li Qiang instructed relevant authorities to guide and assist Chongqing in carrying out rescue operations, treating the injured and providing proper accommodations for affected people, while also guarding against secondary disasters.

Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing led officials from relevant departments to the site to guide rescue and emergency response work.

The National Health Commission has sent a national-level medical expert team to Chongqing to support the treatment of the injured.

The landslide buried several residential buildings along the banks of the Wujiang River. Ten of the trapped people had been rescued as of 6:30 pm on Friday, with none in life-threatening condition at the time.

Dai Qianhua, a local resident, was at home in the morning when he heard a deafening bang and felt the ground shaking. At first he thought it was an earthquake, until the news reported it was a landslide.

A woman surnamed Li, a local online car-hailing driver, said the sound was so loud that she was sure almost everyone in the county town could hear it.

One of the buried shops sold fireworks and firecrackers, which was thought to explain the flames that could be seen in the morning. At around 6 pm on Friday, smoke could still be seen rising from the rubble.

According to Xinhua News Agency, more than 1,100 residents around the collapse site have been evacuated. Water, electricity and gas supplies have been cut off within a one-kilometer radius of the accident area to facilitate hazard inspections. More than 800 rescuers are working on-site.

Preliminary investigations found that around 8 am on Friday, community workers issued an emergency warning after discovering sporadic rockfalls.

The local authorities organized the evacuation of about 60 residents. During the process, a landslide occurred, burying some people.

Zhang Zhongju, 55, lives right next to the collapse site. She was wandering on the street when a community worker told her she could not return home. She is now staying at a nearby hotel.

"I've been told two beams in my house have broken, making it uninhabitable. I live here alone; the rest of my family works elsewhere. As long as everyone is safe, that's the main thing," she said, adding that she has no idea what the future holds for her house.

Following the incident, rescue teams have been working tirelessly at the scene, with efforts still ongoing.

Jiang Guoyu, director of the rescue coordination department of the Chongqing natural disaster engineering rescue team of the Ministry of Emergency Management, said 100 rescue personnel, including engineering, geological and rescue teams, along with 50 sets of specialized equipment for engineering rescue, detection and search, have arrived at the site to carry out disaster assessment, on-site surveys and search for survivors.

Large engineering rescue equipment including excavators, integrated drilling and splitting machines, and demolition vehicles are conducting intensive search and rescue operations, he added.

The ministry activated a Level II national emergency response for geological disasters, and Minister Zhang Chengzhong led a working group to the scene to direct rescue and relief operations.

The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief has activated a Level IV national disaster relief emergency response for the event. A working group has also been sent to the disaster area to guide and assist local authorities in providing basic living support and disaster relief for affected residents.

The commission, the ministry and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration have allocated 8,000 pieces of central government disaster relief supplies to Chongqing.

These include tents, folding beds, folding tables and chairs, blankets, towels, quilts and family emergency kits, to support disaster relief efforts, and the resettlement and assistance of affected residents.

Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn