At Least 11 Killed in Recent Landslide in Southwestern China – Authorities

BEIJING, January 23 (Sputnik) – At least 11 people have died as a result of the recent massive landslide in China’s southwestern province of Yunnan, with the rescue and search operation ongoing, the local authorities said on Tuesday.

The strong landslide occurred in Zhenxiong County of Zhaotong Prefecture at 5:51 a.m. local time on Monday (21:51 GMT on Sunday), leaving several villages damaged and at least 47 people trapped underground at the time, Chinese media reported.

“As of 22:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on January 22, 11 people listed as missing were found at the scene, with all of them showing no signs of life,” the local authorities said in a statement on WeChat.

Over 1,000 firefighters and rescuers, and more than 170 firefighting vehicles are involved in the ongoing search and rescue operation, the statement read.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged all possible efforts to be made to save those trapped underground.