Landslide in Chongqing's Pengshui buries people and buildings as rescue operation continues
A large landslide has struck Pengshui, in south-western China's Chongqing municipality, trapping people under rubble and damaging residential buildings. The incident happened on Friday morning on the banks of the Wujiang River, according to the supplied report. Verified footage from the scene shows large boulders covering a buried roadway and collapsed buildings, including houses.
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Seven people have been pulled from the rubble alive, according to state news agency Xinhua. It remains unclear whether there have been any deaths. A witness identified as Mr Xie, who owns an auto repair shop in the area, said he saw boulders falling down the mountainside at about 8:30am and ran from the scene.
Mr Xie said he did not know what had happened to his business or his home, and said he was unsure whether he had somewhere to live. He described the situation as intense and frightening, saying everything was covered in dust and buried underground. Residents in Pengshui, a mountainous area where communities are often concentrated along riverbanks, said they had experienced heavy rain over the past several days.
State media said the Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed 100 people to support the search and rescue effort. Another 200 fire rescue crew members are also being sent to the scene. The scale of the response suggests officials are treating the landslide as a major emergency, with the priority now on finding anyone still trapped and assessing the damage to homes and infrastructure.
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The disaster comes after days of heavy rain in the area, and public records also show high temperatures and thunderstorms in the days before the landslide. Such conditions can increase the risk of slope failure in mountainous regions, especially where settlements sit close to riverbanks and steep terrain. The incident also follows a landslide in Chongqing's Yongchuan district in May, which left nine people dead and 11 missing.
What remains unclear is the full number of people affected, whether anyone is still missing, and whether the death toll will rise as the search continues. Officials have not yet given a final assessment of the damage or the cause beyond the immediate weather conditions reported locally. The next developments to watch are the outcome of the rescue operation, any confirmation of casualties, and whether further rainfall affects the area.
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