BBC News Top Stories-World China At least 11 dead dozens missing in Yunnan landslide
January 23, 2024 2 min 318 words
这场云南滑坡灾害令人痛心，至少11人不幸丧生，数十人失踪。中国政府迅速行动展开搜救，但在寒冷的气温和艰难的地形条件下，任务异常艰巨。习近平主席下令全力展开搜救行动，显示了中央对此次灾害的高度关切。初步调查表明，滑坡是由悬崖崩塌引发的，这提醒我们山区地形易发生自然灾害，需要加强防范措施。社交媒体上的视频显示，救援人员在废墟中奋力寻找幸存者，而雪山背景下的画面更显震撼。此次灾害发生在中国西南偏远地区，常年容易发生滑坡，这需要更多的长期应对措施。与此同时，新疆地震的发生也引起关注，自然灾害频发让我们深感人类对环境的脆弱。我们需要更多的关注和投入，以降低灾害发生的风险，并在灾后加强重建工作，为灾民提供更多支持。
Rescuers in China are racing to find dozens of people who are still left missing after a landslide struck a city in Yunnan province.
The landslide in Zhaotong occurred at 05:51 local time (21:51 GMT) on Monday, trapping 47 people and killing 11.
President Xi Jinping has ordered an "all-out" rescue in the area which is experiencing sub-zero temperatures.
Preliminary investigations show the landslide resulted from a collapse in a steep cliff, state media reported.
The collapsed mass measured approximately 100m (328ft) in width, 60m in height, with an average thickness of around 6m, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing city authorities.
More than 500 people were evacuated from their homes and nearly 1,000 rescue workers were dispatched to the site. Chinese vice-premier Zhang Guoqing reportedly led a group to the site to guide rescue operations.
"Search and rescue efforts persisted through the night," firefighter Li Shenglong told state news outlet Xinhua.
One of the villagers told local media that most of the residents were either elderly or children. Another resident told local news outlet Jimu News that the landslide happened while many people were still asleep on Monday morning.
"It was very loud, and there was also a shake, it felt like a big earthquake," she said.
Video clips shared on social media showed rescuers walking on piles of rubble against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. Personal belongings are seen scattered among the collapsed masonry.
The remote, mountainous region in southwest China is prone to landslides. In January 2013, at least 18 people were killed in a landslide in the same county.
Separately, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Wushi county in China's Xinjiang at about 02:00 local time on Tuesday. State broadcaster CCTV said no casualties have been reported, but some homes have been damaged and some areas had their power supplies cut.