Landslide in China buries 21 houses: At least 36 people reported dead

A landslide struck near a village in southwest Guizhou Province of China, destroying 21 houses and killing at least 36 people.

The incident occurred on July 23, 2019. Emergency crews including more than 800 rescuers and 20 trenchers rushed at the scene in search of survivors. According to recent updates, 15 people are still missing while 40 have been rescued.

The landslide consisted of more than 2 million m³ of mud and came after heavy rainfalls struck the area (precipitation reached more than 189 millimeters). The rescue operations were paused on July 25, after a secondary slide was triggered due to another rainstorm. "Excessive rainfall has accumulated in the soil, and a landslide occurred again with 10 cracks found in the surface of the mountain," Huang Jie, leader of a non-profit rescue team, stated.

The Chinese Ministries of Finance and Emergency Management granted a $4.35 million fund for the rescue operations and the evacuation of people in the affected region. A temporary shelter has been established in a local school.

Experts are now monitoring the area to detect any additional failures. Guizhou province has been highly affected by natural disasters since the beginning of 2019. Many people have died and the financial loss is estimated at about $450 million.