Rescue operation hampered as second landslide hits China village

Only three people were saved and 10 bodies recovered before the rescue operation was suspended.

Published Jun 27, 2017

Rescue workers at the scene of a landslide in south-western China's Sichuan province (Ng Han Guan/AP)

A second landslide has struck the village in south-west China where rescue workers have been looking for nearly 100 people buried over the weekend by a massive wave of rocks and debris.

Chinese state radio said the latest landslide struck the village of Xinmo in Sichuan province at around 11am local time on Tuesday.

Relatives mourn after landslides left more than 100 people buried (Ng Han Guan/AP) — Relatives mourn after landslides left nearly 100 people buried (Ng Han Guan/AP)

Government teams were ordered to evacuate the site on Monday after radar detected shifts in the mountain, signalling another imminent collapse.

While no further casualties were reported, the second landslide is a setback for rescue teams searching for 93 people missing since early on Saturday, when rugged mountains flanking the village gave way and buried its residents.

Rescue workers search for victims (Ng Han Guan/AP

Before rescue work stopped on Monday, only three people had been rescued and 10 bodies had been recovered. More than 2,500 rescuers with dogs and detection devices were looking for signs of life amid the rubble.

Sitting on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, Xinmo has in recent years become a tourist destination, with homes in lush meadows set against steep mountains.

The area has been prone to geological activity. A massive earthquake in 2008 in nearby Wenchuan County 25 miles (40km) away killed nearly 90,000 people. Experts quoted by Chinese media said that earthquake may have weakened Xinmo’s mountains, which collapsed after heavy rain.