More than 300 rescue workers were deployed along with dozens of fire engines and earth-moving equipment to the site of a devastating landslide in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan province, that has claimed 20 lives so far. The rescue teams worked through the night in freezing temperatures and snow to search for dozens of people still missing after the landslide hit early Monday morning.
The landslide occurred at around 5:51 am local time on January 23, covering houses at the foot of a hill in two villages near Zhaotong city in brown earth. State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said 47 people from 18 households were initially reported missing. 20 deaths have now been confirmed, while 24 people remain unaccounted for.
CCTV aired footage showing rescue crews and sniffer dogs working at the scene, where deep piles of soil and rock covered the area. One rescuer said large machinery cannot be utilized due to the precarious soil, making rescue efforts extremely challenging.
"The excavation is unloaded below; the top may continue to collapse," the emergency worker told The Cover, a local media outlet. "It is difficult to carry out large-scale mechanical operations, and it is very difficult to rescue on site."