Rescue efforts underway after devastating landslide in Sichuan
At 5:45 on June 24, Xinmo village in Maoxian County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province was hit by a landslide which engulfed 62 homes. As of Tuesday, 10 people were confirmed dead and 93 were still missing.
More than 300 victims have been transferred to a nearby primary school and hotels. Basic living necessities as well as psychological counseling service are provided by the emergency relief headquarters.
Efforts are also made by the Ministry of Transport and both Sichuan and Gansu provinces ensure good traffic conditions.
Experts conducted comprehensive assessments of dangerous areas in the disaster region and drones were used to draw a 3D map of the disaster area.
Rescuers used excavators, sniffer dogs and life-detection equipment to dig through debris as the search continued.
Maoxian County, with an area of over 3900 square kilometers, is located on the Minjiang River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River. The County is the largest settlement of the Qiang ethnicity in China and is prone to earthquakes. In 1933, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake destroyed many villages here.