Rescuers have brought out nine people from debris, with two of them confirmed dead, after a rain-triggered landslide trapped 14 people in Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, on Wednesday morning, local authorities said on Thursday.
The search for the other five missing is continuing.
Rescue workers are racing to contain flooding, search for trapped residents and clear blocked roads after days of torrential rain triggered landslides and traffic disruptions across the province.
By Wednesday evening, rescue workers had pulled eight of the 14 people trapped in the debris of a rain-triggered landslide in Dayuan Village, which is administered by the city of Guangzhou, according to local fire and rescue authorities.
The landslide struck at approximately 8:30 a.m. (local time on Wednesday), damaging multiple houses. An on-site rescue headquarters has been established to coordinate rescue and relief work, provide treatment for those injured, and evacuate affected residents. As of 5 p.m., a total of 996 residents have been evacuated, reports Xinhua news agency.
Baiyun District has deployed 607 rescue personnel and mobilised 733 pieces of rescue equipment, including excavators, life detectors and emergency communication support vehicles. A total of 2,200 emergency and epidemic-prevention supplies, such as tents and raincoats, have also been allocated.
As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, six expressway sections, including two toll stations and one service area, along with six national or provincial highways and 36 rural roads across Guangdong remained closed due to persistent heavy rainfall, according to the provincial transport department.
Yang Guojie, chief forecaster at the provincial meteorological service, said the ongoing heavy rainfall is linked to a subtropical high-pressure system and an active monsoon trough.
Rainfall is expected to ease by Thursday or Friday, with most parts of the province set to see cloudy skies and rising temperatures, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.
