China Landslide Buries Dozens: Essential Information to Understand

Dozens of villagers have been buried and more than 500 others evacuated due to a landslide in southwestern China, as reported by state media. The incident took place in a village within Zhaoxiong City in Yunnan province at approximately 5:51 a.m. local time, according to Xinhua. The Yunnan Provincial Fire and Rescue Corps promptly deployed 812 personnel and 45 dogs to conduct search and rescue operations for the 47 missing individuals from 18 different households. The cause of the landslide remains unknown, and there have been no reports of fatalities or injuries so far. Videos circulating online depict the area covered in snow.

In related news, the National Meteorological Center has predicted intense and widespread snowfall for Yunnan and other parts of southern China. This comes as the country faces its first cold wave of the year, causing temperatures to drop below freezing.

It is worth noting that the landslide occurred shortly after China’s deadliest earthquake in years on December 18, in the northwestern Gansu province. The earthquake claimed 149 lives, injured over a thousand people, and destroyed more than 14,000 homes.

Yunnan, a remote and underdeveloped mountainous region, often experiences landslides. In January 2013, 46 individuals lost their lives in a landslide in Zhenxiong County. Additionally, in October 2012, a landslide buried a primary school in Yiliang County, resulting in the deaths of 19 people, including 18 children.