A massive landslide occurred in the mountains of China's Yunnan province early Monday morning, killing nine people and burying at least 47 alive.
Authorities are battling sub-zero temperatures and snowfall as they scramble to find survivors after landslides hit 18 homes in two villages. according to to Reuters. Almost 1,000 rescue workers were sent to the village and 500 people were evacuated from their homes, the newspaper reported. The cause of the landslide remains unknown.
“The mountain collapsed, burying dozens of people,” one eyewitness told local media, adding that four relatives were buried under the rubble, according to Reuters. “They were all sleeping in their own homes.”
footage of the aftermath share ABC News reported online that a huge pile of rocks and dirt was flowing down the mountainside and into one of the villages.
A landslide in southwestern China's mountainous Yunnan province early Monday buried 47 people, killed at least two and forced another 200 to evacuate amid subzero temperatures and snowfall. https://t.co/jqpb5Zts6O pic.twitter.com/Rfb1dtLul1
— ABC News (@ABC) January 22, 2024
Two survivors were found in the rubble and taken to a local hospital, according to the Associated Press. I got it.. (Related: Apocalyptic scene as landslide hits small Italian town)
Frigid weather conditions and intermittent snow are expected to continue for at least the next three days, further complicating rescue and recovery efforts, the Associated Press said.
Those displaced during the chaos are being housed in school buildings and other temporary accommodation, and are being provided with food. But one survivor told The Associated Press that she, her husband, her three children and others were still waiting for blankets and other items to protect them from the cold.
The landslide came just a week after dozens of avalanches struck a remote ski resort in northwest China, trapping more than 1,000 people, according to the Associated Press. report. The disaster shut down multiple roads and forced authorities to airlift injured people from the area and airlift supplies to survivors.
