Hundreds of tourists fled for their lives when a massive landslide crashed into a river just metres from a packed viewing platform at Tiger Leaping Gorge in Shangri-La, Yunnan Province, China.
The rockfall hit in two waves on July 30 at around 9.16am, sending huge boulders down steep cliffs as dust clouds filled the canyon. Staff blew emergency whistles as visitors scrambled to safety, with many saying the ground shook.
Eyewitnesses describe panic and shaking ground
Tourist Mrs Wang said she first noticed a small landslip in the distance, but minutes later staff ordered everyone to clear the area as she reached the best viewpoint for photos. "We hadn’t walked a few steps when we heard a very loud sound and staff started blowing whistles," she said.
Mr Li, who watched from the opposite side, said: "I felt the ground shaking. The sound of stones falling into the water was particularly loud."
Second collapse bigger, no injuries reported
Tourists fled again when the second, larger collapse sent giant rocks cascading down. The main fall struck less than a metre from the scenic area entrance, right beside the viewing platform. Some estimates put the number of tourists on the paths at between 100 and 200.
Officials confirmed the rockfall hit an unmanned zone outside the tourist area. Core paths and buildings stayed intact and no one was reported injured.
Operator closes gorge over fresh risk
Continuous overnight rain raised fresh fears, with slopes along some routes becoming less stable and increasing the risk of further falls or slides. The operator ordered a full temporary shutdown from 8am today, with plans to reopen announced later.
Local meteorologists rated the geological disaster risk at level three – higher than normal – with more showers expected. Unstable mountains make rockfalls more common after heavy summer rains in the area.
