Eight killed in landslide in Chongqing's Pengshui county as rescue operation continues

A landslide in Pengshui county in southwestern China's Chongqing municipality has killed eight people and left 34 missing, according to Chinese authorities. The slide buried homes in the area and forced a large rescue response as teams searched through debris on Friday. More than 1,100 residents were evacuated from the affected area.

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The landslide occurred at about 9:10am local time, or 01:10 GMT, in Pengshui county, which lies in the southeast of Chongqing near the borders of Hubei and Guizhou provinces. State media reported that 10 people had been rescued from the debris, including two who were seriously injured. More than 800 rescuers were deployed to the site, while water, electricity and gas supplies were cut off within a one-kilometre radius to reduce further risk.

Authorities also sent more than 8,000 disaster relief items to Chongqing, including tents, folding beds and family emergency kits. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management said 50 million yuan, or about $7.36m, had been allocated in natural disaster relief funds to support rescue and relief work and help affected residents. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the search and rescue operation to be organised in a scientific manner and for the cause of the disaster to be investigated quickly.

The incident highlights the continuing risk posed by steep terrain in mountainous parts of China, where landslides can be triggered by unstable slopes and heavy rainfall. A local official described the area as having unpredictable steep terrain and said dangerous rocks remained along the sides of the cliff. The scale of the evacuation and the deployment of rescue teams indicate the seriousness of the disaster and the pressure on local authorities to account for those still missing.

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Pengshui county is a mountainous area in the southeast of Chongqing, and the landslide has disrupted both residential and commercial streets at the foot of a mountain. Footage from the scene showed a large accumulation of rocks and soil covering part of the built-up area. The response has involved local and national agencies, with emergency supplies and funding being directed to the site while search teams continue work in difficult conditions.

It remains unclear how many of the missing may still be trapped and whether further landslides could affect the rescue effort. Officials have said the cause of the disaster will be investigated, but no conclusion has yet been announced. The next developments to watch are the progress of the search operation, any change in the casualty figures and whether authorities identify the trigger for the slide.

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