Landslide in China's Gansu leaves 16 still buried as rescue continues

A landslide in the mountainous western province of Gansu has left 16 people still buried, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The disaster struck on Tuesday and initially trapped 33 people, 17 of whom have now been rescued. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an all-out rescue effort, as emergency teams continue searching the affected area.

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CCTV said the cause of the landslide remained unclear. The incident comes as the country is dealing with damaging thunderstorms and wider weather disruption across several regions. In a separate development, at least eight people were reported killed by thunderstorms in Hubei province on Monday night, with at least one person still missing.

The landslide adds to a broader period of severe weather that has affected large parts of the country. Forecasters have warned of more torrential rain in several provinces, including Guangxi, Jiangsu and Shandong, where extremely heavy rainfall could trigger further landslides. Other areas in the northeast and south are also expected to face tornadoes, increasing pressure on local emergency services.

The situation is significant because mountainous areas are especially vulnerable to landslides during periods of intense rain and storms. The latest rescue effort is taking place against the backdrop of a wider weather emergency that has already caused injuries and deaths elsewhere. Officials have also warned that the affected weather systems could continue to disrupt transport, local infrastructure and rescue operations.

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China has faced repeated flood and storm emergencies in recent years, with heavy rain often creating dangerous conditions in inland and southern provinces. The current rescue operation in Gansu is part of a wider national response to severe weather, with authorities monitoring multiple hazards at the same time. The combination of landslides, thunderstorms and strong winds has increased the scale of the emergency response.

It remains unclear how many people may still be trapped beyond the 16 confirmed buried, and officials have not yet given a full assessment of damage in Gansu. The cause of the landslide has also not been established. Rescue work is expected to continue as forecasters warn of more heavy rain and possible secondary disasters in other parts of the country.

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