Rescue work underway after a landslide hit a construction site next to an expressway in Wufeng county, Yichang city in Central China's Hubei Province on July 8, 2023. Photo: IC

Nine victims from a landslide disaster which occurred on Saturday at a construction site on an expressway in Wufeng county, Yichang city in Central China's Hubei Province, have been rescued as of Tuesday evening, including four who are showing no vital signs. The search work for another five missing people is still ongoing.

As of 7 pm on Tuesday, more than 20,000 cubic meters of landslide soil and rocks have been transferred, and more than 3,900 square meters of the mountain have been cleared. Meanwhile, the rescue teams narrowed the area where the missing people might be buried, and conducted an all-round and non-stop search.

In order to prevent secondary disasters and ensure the safety of the rescue site and the search and rescue area, the expert group optimized the rescue plans according to the situation and monitoring data.

The relocation and demolition of 12 rural households affected by the landslide have started, to ensure the security of the surrounding people and their properties.

More than 1,000 people have been organized to get involved in the rescue operation, including armed police, traffic police, construction companies and standby personnel. In addition, more than 500 sets of rescue machinery and equipment have been allocated to the rescue work. Three search and rescue teams have been set up to search the area which is divided into five sections, and have been carrying out an all-round and uninterrupted search for the missing personnel.
According to a press briefing organized by local officials in Yichang on Sunday, as of around 4 pm on Saturday, the landslide hit a construction site on the Yilai Expressway which was located halfway up an adjoining slope. It is estimated that the volume of the landslide was around 500,000 cubic meters, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

As of 10 am on Sunday, main roads in the area had been cleared for use. All residents in the potential area of impact have been evacuated, according to Chao News, a news portal under the Zhejiang Daily Press Group.

Following the incident, China's Ministry of Emergency Management immediately deployed forces and marshalled local authorities to organize search and rescue operations, providing guidance and offering assistance to minimize casualties. Meanwhile, measures have also been taken to prevent a secondary disaster and ensure the safety of emergency workers.

Local officials have already called for an investigation to determine the cause of the incident and learn from it to enhance risk monitoring and inspection.

Local authorities are continuing to supervise on-site emergency rescue work.

The ministry has activated the Level-IV emergency response for a geological disaster and deployed a working group to the scene of the incident.

A combined 139 firefighters and 32 vehicles from the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue forces, as well as national emergency rescue teams with specialized equipment have also arrived on site.

Following the incident, the local authorities immediately initiated an emergency response by establishing an emergency command center and forming nine working groups to lead the on-site rescue including medical treatment, expert guidance, rescue support, and post-disaster disposal, among others.

More than 390 emergency response personnel, medical workers, firefighting, transportation, and geological disaster rescue teams have been mobilized. At the scene, 11 excavators, eight loaders, five rescue vehicles, three search and rescue dogs, as well as more than 500 units of equipment including detection equipment, demolition tools, rescue tools, and lighting equipment were deployed to carry out rescue and recovery work, CCTV reported.

Global Times