Nanchang (Jiangxi), Sep 8 (IANS) Twelve people had been confirmed dead and one person remains missing after a mudslide struck Mingkeng Village in east China’s Jiangxi Province, as of 6 pm Tuesday, rescuers said.
The mudslide hit the village in Suichuan County in the early hours on Saturday.
After days of torrential rain, one person was confirmed dead and two others were reported missing after landslides struck Zuo’an Township and Tanghu Township in the same county.
Search and rescue operations, road reinforcement and prevention of secondary disasters are underway, Xinhua news agency reported.
Four people were confirmed dead on Sunday after a series of mudslides and landslides struck Suichuan County in east China’s Jiangxi Province on Saturday.
In Mingkeng Village in Gaoping Town, a mudslide and landslide on Saturday left three dead and nine others missing as of Sunday noon, according to reporters at the site.
In the same county, two people were reported missing after a landslide struck Yangfen Village in Zuo’an Town on Saturday, and one of them was later found dead on Sunday afternoon according to the local government. Search and rescue operations are underway.
The mudslide has completely destroyed the road, hampering the rescue, said Wan Qiang, an on-site rescuer with China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise.
Liang Kuan, deputy head of Gaoping Town, said nearly 200 residents from Mingkeng Village have been relocated to a safe site, where they receive catering and medical services.
In neighbouring areas, more than 5,300 people have been relocated to guard against potential disasters.
After days of torrential rain caused by Typhoon Saudel, 161,500 residents have been affected in the province.
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources raised its geological disaster response for Jiangxi from Level IV to III at 11 am Saturday and dispatched teams to the site to guide rescue efforts.
The National Development and Reform Commission on Saturday allocated 20 million yuan (2.95 million US dollars) from the central natural disaster relief funds to support emergency rescue and disaster relief work in Jiangxi.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe.
–IANS
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