Two separate landslides struck Changshi and Guowa townships in Dafang county, Guizhou province, on Thursday, killing two people and trapping 19 others, local authorities told Xinhua News Agency.
The first landslide hit Changshi at around 3 am, leaving two residents trapped. The second occurred at about 9 am in Guowa, trapping 19 people across eight households. As of 6:55 pm on Thursday, the two people trapped in Changshi had been confirmed dead, Xinhua reported.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by steep terrain and sharp inclines, according to the report.
By 2 pm, multiple units of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force had arrived in the area to join the rescue efforts. The local military subdistrict mobilized about 120 soldiers and local militia from surrounding townships. By noon, more than 60 armed police officers from the Bijie detachment had reached the scene with demolition tools, lifesaving equipment and other specialized gear.
The Ministry of Emergency Management launched a Level IV emergency response for geological disasters and dispatched a work team to provide on-site guidance. At 1 pm, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued a Level II response for geological disaster defense and sent experts to help coordinate emergency efforts.
Heavy rain from Wednesday night to Thursday caused landslides that blocked all access roads to the affected areas. By 6 pm on Thursday, one of the roads had been cleared, allowing excavators and other heavy machinery to enter, according to China Central Television.
Xu Lin, Party secretary of Guizhou, went to the emergency command center to oversee the rescue operation. Provincial Governor Li Bingjun later arrived at the site with relevant provincial departments to direct search and rescue efforts and other emergency measures.
According to publicly released information, the Dafang county meteorological station upgraded its heavy rain warning from orange to red — the highest level in the four-tier system — at 3:33 am on Thursday, and reissued the red alert at 6:45 am.
The forecast predicted that rainfall in several areas, including Changshi and Guowa, would exceed 150 millimeters over the next three hours.
Authorities were urged to strengthen drainage and flood control, guard against rain-triggered hazards such as mountain floods, landslides and debris flows, and evacuate residents from high-risk areas and unstable housing without delay.
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