2 dead, 3 missing after Sichuan mudslide

Two people have been confirmed dead and three others remained missing as of Sunday afternoon after a mudslide hit Yanbian county, Sichuan province, local authorities said.

The disaster, triggered by heavy rainfall, occurred near a tunnel in Zhiliuhe village in Yanbian early on Saturday, initially leaving five people missing and damaging roads and communication facilities.

The two dead and three missing people were all workers on a local expressway project under construction, according to the Sichuan provincial emergency management department.

Following the mudslide, the county activated a Level II emergency response for geological disasters, while the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level IV national emergency response and dispatched a working group to guide rescue operations.

The Sichuan provincial emergency management department urgently deployed Wing Loong drones to the affected area to restore communication services and conduct aerial reconnaissance. The drones arrived at 11:50 am on Saturday and established stable communications in the disaster zone using airborne base stations.

A rescue team from the Liangshan detachment of the Sichuan fire and rescue brigade arrived at the scene around 12 pm on Saturday and began operations using search-and-rescue dogs and drones.

Some rescuers worked with search-and-rescue dogs to conduct blanket searches across the debris field and nearby key areas. Others used drones to patrol the site and surrounding areas that were difficult for personnel to reach, transmitting real-time footage to help the team assess the situation and identify priority search areas.

Rescuers also used all-terrain vehicles to free two stranded vehicles and helped the local government evacuate 57 households to safety.

According to the frontline rescue command center, the two deceased workers were discovered by rescue personnel at around 10 pm on Saturday.

Videos posted online showed scenes of destruction at the site, with equipment tossed and toppled by the mudslide and a number of machines and vehicles buried under the mud.

Rain continued in the area on Saturday night, increasing the risk of further flash floods and mudslides and adding to the difficulties of search and rescue operations.

Efforts were still underway Sunday to locate the three people who remained missing, the command center said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.