Early on Monday, a predawn landslide in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan province, destroyed 18 homes and forced more than 200 people to flee.
Following a night of below-freezing temperatures, rescue workers are reportedly in a “race against time” to locate those who are still missing more than 24 hours after the accident, according to state news agency Xinhua.
According to firefighter Li Shenglong, “search and rescue operations continued throughout the night” (Xinhua).
Just after midday, state broadcaster CCTV reported that twelve people had been confirmed dead.
According to Wu Junyao, director of Zhaotong’s natural resources and planning bureau, the catastrophe “resulted from a collapse in the steep cliff area atop the slope,” as he told Xinhua.
Numerous fire engines and other equipment have been sent to the scene, along with 200 rescue personnel.
According to Xinhua, rescuers are “using all kinds of tools to search for survivors” at the site, which is covered in a thick layer of snow.
The rescuers are excavating collapsed debris that measures “100 meters in width, 60 meters in height, with an average thickness of around 6 meters,” Wu told Xinhua.
CCTV footage captured rescue workers searching through concrete and twisted metal all night for survivors.
Additional CCTV footage captured residents eating instant noodles while huddled around a fire in a shelter for warmth.
Local residents have contributed to the relief efforts, according to state media.
“Our village is close by,” 38-year-old Hong Jie said to Xinhua.
“We are primarily concerned with cooking, distributing supplies, and providing food to those in need.”
