On January 22nd, in southwestern China, there was a deadly landslide. The landslide hit two villages and buried dozens of villagers, killing at least 47, and forcing more than 500 to evacuate. Xinhua News Agency reported that the landslide occurred in a hilly village within Zhaoxiong City in Yunnan province. Fire and Rescue corps immediately dispatched 812 personnel and 45 dogs to search for survivors. Villagers who survived were sent to a local hospital. The landslide cost 50 million yuan for repairs, search and rescue, and relocation. The mountain that had collapsed was covered in snow as well. Rescue workers had to work in subzero temperatures for hours. Many had evacuated to a nearby school until it was safe to come out.
Last week, rescuers had to evacuate tourists from a remote skiing area because the avalanches triggered by heavy snow had trapped more than 1,00 people for a week. The avalanches blocked roads, stranding both tourists and residents in the Xinjiang region, close to China’s border with Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. There was no immediate official explanation for the landslide. Landslides, which are often caused by rain or unsafe construction work, are not uncommon in China.
At least 70 people were killed in landslides last year, including more than 50 at an open pit mine in the Inner Mongolia region, stated Fox Weather. Dozens of residents are still missing and the search for those missing is still ongoing. Meanwhile, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit northwestern China on Monday, according to the U.S Geological Survey. The epicenter was located about 80 miles west-northwest of Aykol, China, a sparsely populated area. The earthquake killed at least 3 people and destroyed almost 50 homes. Last month 149 people were killed in a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit northwestern China. Nearly 1,000 people were injured and more than 14,00 homes were destroyed, stated C N N News. More were injured during the process of cleaning up.
