A severe landslide in central China’s Hunan province on Sunday has killed 15 and injured six, state media reported, citing the provincial emergency management department.
The landslide occurred around 8am in Yuelin village of Hengyang city as a result of heavy rainfall in recent days, according to a report from the official Xinhua news agency.
Around 20 people were initially trapped in the landslide, many of whom were elderly residents who were buried while having breakfast at a canteen, the newspaper said.
State broadcaster CCTV said all missing and trapped people were accounted for as of 7.30pm. Xinhua said all the injured have been sent to hospital for treatment.
A one-storey house, described on social media as a homestay that had been operating for more than a decade, was smashed into debris, and local rescuers were seen cleaning fallen trees and other obstacles, according to video clips circulating online.
The village is located near the Mount Heng resort – one of the most famous mountains in China. The scenic spot draws many visitors during the summer thanks to its cool weather.
Hunan is one of the regions in China hit hardest by recent extreme weather. A flood earlier this month breached an embankment on the shore of Dongting Lake in the northeastern part of the province, forcing more than 6,000 residents to evacuate.
On Sunday, the local meteorological station issued a red alert warning of heavy rain across the province. In some cities, rainfall has reached 100mm (3.9 inches) in one day.
Heavy rain and floods have hit several other parts of China, forcing leaders to issue warnings for early preparation and emergency management work.
The Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, chaired by President Xi Jinping, said in a Thursday meeting that Chinese cadres must “always be on high alert and take initiative” in flood control efforts, state media reported.
“[We must] do everything we can to prevent the breaching of embankments of major rivers and the collapse of dams at large and key reservoirs,” said a statement from the meeting released by Xinhua.
“[We must] check all hidden risks and dangers of all essential infrastructure … as well as key points such as urban underground spaces, bridges and tunnels, and implement emergency measures to ensure safe operation,” it said.
The Central Meteorological Station on Sunday issued warnings about heavy rainfall in more than 10 provinces, including the central provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Henan, the southwestern provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, the southern province of Guangdong, as well as three northeastern provinces.
China’s finance and emergency management ministries jointly appropriated 475 million yuan (US$65.6 million) of central government funding for natural disaster relief.
