As rescuers scrambled to locate people still buried beneath the rubble, official media reported that the death toll from the landslide that devastated a remote and hilly region of southwest China reached twenty on Tuesday.
Jerrymusa.com reports that early on Monday, a predawn landslide in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province, destroyed 18 homes and forced more than 200 residents to flee.
Twenty individuals have been officially declared dead more than thirty hours after the tragedy, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
On Monday, “all-out” rescue operations were authorized by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Landslide Frequently Occur in Yunnan
In Yunnan, a remote and predominantly destitute area of China where steep mountain ranges butt against the Himalayan plateau, landslides are frequent occurrences.
The incident on Monday happened in a remote area encircled by snow-dusted, towering peaks, according to footage released by official media.
In recent months, China has seen a number of natural disasters, some of which were caused by extreme weather conditions like abrupt, intense downpours.
According to media accounts, rainstorms in September of last year in the southern region of Guangxi caused a mountain avalanche that claimed the lives of at least seven individuals.
A similar tragedy near the northern city of Xi’an occurred in August as a result of severe rains, when over 20 people perished.