Yunnan Landslide Tragedy: Eight Lives Lost, Dozens Still Unaccounted for

The landslide in Zhaotong city occurred at 05:51 local time (21:51 GMT) on Monday, trapping 47 individuals.

In response to the crisis, President Xi Jinping has issued a directive for a comprehensive rescue effort in the region, where sub-zero temperatures prevail. The exact cause of the landslide remains unclear, but the remote and mountainous terrain is known for its susceptibility to such incidents.

Over 500 residents were evacuated from their homes, and close to 1,000 rescue personnel were mobilized to the site. Chinese vice-premier Zhang Guoqing purportedly led a team to oversee rescue operations on-site.

A local villager informed the media that the majority of the affected residents were either elderly or children. Another resident, speaking to the news outlet Jimu News, recounted that the landslide occurred while many were still asleep on Monday morning.

“It was very loud, and there was also a shake, it felt like a big earthquake,” she said.

Video clips circulating on social media depicted rescuers navigating through piles of rubble with snow-covered mountains in the background. Personal belongings were scattered amid the collapsed structures.

Notably, in January 2013, a landslide in the same county claimed the lives of at least 18 people.