A catastrophic landslide on the outskirts of Chongqing, one of China's largest megacities, has killed at least eight people, left 34 missing, and forced more than 1,000 residents to evacuate, according to local officials and state media.
Landslide details and casualties
The disaster struck at approximately 9:08 a.m. in Pengshui County, on the outer edge of the Chongqing municipality. Massive amounts of rocks and soil washed downslope, completely burying more than 10 residential buildings. Rescue teams pulled 10 people from the debris, including two who were seriously injured. Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County, stated at a news conference that the landslide contained about 18,000 cubic meters (636,000 cubic feet) of rocks and debris, with the largest single rock measuring around 3,000 cubic meters (106,000 cubic feet).
Evacuations and infrastructure disruptions
Authorities ordered the evacuation of over 1,000 residents from the affected area. Water, electricity, and gas supplies were cut off within a one-kilometer (0.6-mile) radius of the landslide to prevent further disruptions. A local government statement confirmed that more than 800 rescuers were working on site, using drones to survey the landslide area.
Rescue challenges and ongoing risks
Rescue efforts were hampered by unstable terrain and the risk of further landslides. Wang Chuanjun warned of persistent risk of additional collapse under extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall or prolonged hot and clear weather. Social media footage showed a team of rescuers pulling a survivor from the debris. Images from CCTV revealed part of a mountainside collapsing onto a residential area, with several buildings located next to the collapse site as rescue crews combed through the debris.
Government response and investigation
Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed authorities to determine the cause of the disaster. The landslide occurred in Pengshui County, a rural area on the outskirts of Chongqing, a sprawling municipality covering 31,815 square miles—an area the size of Austria—and home to 32 million people. Chongqing is known for its complex, multi-tiered layout, often described as a "city in three dimensions."
