According to official media, a landslide that occurred on Monday in a remote and hilly area of southwest China resulted in the burial of 47 individuals.
In Zhenxiong County, Yunnan province, a landslide occurred at 5:51 am (2151 GMT Sunday), according to state news agency Xinhua, which cited local authorities.
Around 18 homes were buried, according to state broadcaster CCTV, and more than 200 people were “urgently evacuated” from the region.
According to CCTV, authorities have initiated an emergency reaction that includes more than 200 rescue personnel, numerous fire engines, and other machinery.
A local broadcaster posted footage of emergency personnel in orange jumpsuits and helmets forming ranks outside a fire station on social media, while snowflakes fluttered in the air.
Additional photos displayed rescuers rummaging amid enormous heaps of crumbling stonework, where a few personal items were visible.
Whether there were victims in the landslide was not immediately disclosed by the authorities.
CCTV released a picture that appeared to show a firefighter trying to free a villager who was stuck in a destroyed home.
When reached by phone, the village chief in the area declined to comment on the landslide, claiming he was “too busy.”
In Yunnan, a remote and frequently impoverished region of China where steep mountain ranges meet the Himalayan plateau, landslides are a common occurrence.
According to official TV footage, the incident on Monday happened in a rural area surrounded by tall peaks covered in snow.
According to weather data, Zhenxiong saw temperatures of about minus four degrees Celsius (24.8 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday morning.
According to Xinhua, investigations are being conducted to ascertain what happened, as there is presently no official explanation for the possible reason of the landslide.
