China landslide leaves eight dead as rescuers search for 34 missing in Chongqing

Rescue teams continued an intensive search on Saturday for dozens of people still unaccounted for after a rain-triggered landslide buried residential buildings in Chongqing, southwestern China, killing at least eight people. Authorities said 34 people remained missing, while 10 others were rescued and taken to hospital.

The landslide struck Pengshui County on Friday morning along the outskirts of the Chongqing municipality, where a huge mass of rocks and soil swept down a hillside, engulfing more than 10 residential buildings, according to state broadcaster CCTV. More than 1,100 residents have since been relocated.

Footage from the scene showed enormous boulders scattered across the steep landscape, with one rock appearing larger than a multi-storey building. One damaged building had its upper section crushed, while a car was left partially buried near another structure.

Rescuers face difficult conditions

Officials said the landslide involved about 18,000 cubic metres of rocks and debris, with the largest individual boulder measuring around 3,000 cubic metres. Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County, shared the details during a news conference on Friday.

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CCTV reported that persistent rainfall continued from Friday night into Saturday morning, with a weather station recording 19.2 centimetres (nearly 8 inches) of rain. The unstable conditions complicated rescue efforts, although teams moved into the disaster zone to inspect collapsed buildings and riverbank areas as rainfall eased slightly.

Recovery plan and relief funding

According to CCTV, rescue personnel are first searching around the massive rocks before moving beneath them, where unstable boulders pose a risk of further movement. Once the surrounding search is completed, officers will drill into the rocks and fill the holes with explosives to break them apart.

China's National Development and Reform Commission on Saturday allocated a relief fund of 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) to support the restoration of infrastructure and public service facilities following the disaster.

The landslide occurred near a stretch of the Wujiang River, which flows through karst mountains dotted with small towns and terraced landscapes. Pengshui County lies in the southeastern part of Chongqing and borders the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.