Several dead in landslide in China’s Fujian province

World Today

Photo taken by a mobile phone shows the landslide site in Taining County of Sanming City, southeast China’s Fujian Province, May 8, 2016. (Xinhua/Qiu Canwang)

Thirty-four people are missing and another seven were injured after a landslide hit Taining County in South China’s Fujian province at around 5 a.m. local time on Sunday morning.

The landslide buried a temporary shed at the construction site of a hydropower station and damaged its offices. It was triggered by heavy downpours that unleashed 191.6 millimeters of rain in 24 hours starting on Saturday.

About 100,000 cubic meters of mud and rocks flowed downhill, burying the office building.

China’s President Xi Jinping urged the Fujian local government and related departments to organize rescue work as quickly as possible.

Xi also urged strengthening local monitoring and safety checks for hidden dangers to prevent secondary disasters.

Story by Xinhua