CHONGQING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Ten people had been rescued as of 2 p.m. on Friday after a rainfall-induced landslide occurred along a section of the Wujiang River in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
All of those rescued are in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries, while more than 1,100 residents living in the vicinity of the disaster site have been evacuated to safety, according to local authorities in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County in Chongqing.
To facilitate risk investigation and prevent secondary hazards, supplies of water, electricity and gas within a 1-kilometer radius around the affected area have been temporarily suspended. Over 800 rescuers are carrying out search and rescue operations at the site.
The landslide occurred at 9:08 a.m. on Friday in Hanjia sub-district of Pengshui, bringing down multiple residential buildings at the foot of a mountain. The exact number of people still buried is being further verified.
The geological disaster saw massive amounts of rock and soil wash downslope, burying more than 10 residential buildings, leaving local residents trapped and unaccounted for.
Jiang Wei, head of a professional emergency rescue team in Chongqing, said an all-out search and rescue mission has been launched.
China Anneng Construction Group, a state-owned engineering rescue force, has dispatched 110 professional rescuers, including engineering and geological experts, alongside 50 sets of detection, search and rescue equipment to support the disaster relief operation in Pengshui.
Rescuers said three power poles were buried, disrupting power supply in the affected area. Local power departments have dispatched 53 maintenance workers, 12 repair vehicles and one emergency power vehicle in contributing to disaster response.
Chongqing's fire brigade, meanwhile, has deployed more than 400 professional rescuers from eight firefighting units, together with communications and medical support teams.
Upon arrival, rescue teams immediately used drones to conduct a comprehensive aerial survey of the landslide area to support command and decision-making, said Zhong Tao, an official with the fire brigade.
The rescue operation has been complicated by the massive volume of debris, deeply buried buildings and the site's proximity to the Wujiang River, making it difficult for heavy machinery to operate, Xinhua reporters at the scene have noted.
Wan Ping, head of Chongqing's professional emergency rescue team, said rescuers have established two operational zones on the upper section of the landslide, deploying search dogs and life-detection devices for surface searches while using excavators for deeper excavation.
"Preparations are also underway to install a floating bridge on the Wujiang River to allow excavators access to a third operational site, further improving rescue efficiency," Wan added.
All-out search and rescue efforts are continuing. ■
