China: 21 people die, 6 others missing after mudslide in Xi’an

Beijing [China]: 21 people have died and six others are missing as of Sunday evening after heavy rainfall lashed Xi’an region of China’s Shaanxi province, and led to mountain floods and mudslides on Friday evening, Global Times reported.

The heavy rain, mountain floods and mudslides hit a village in Chang, a district in Xi’an around 6 pm on Friday. Two houses and 21 sections on the National Highway 210 have been damaged due to the disaster, according to Global Times report.

In addition, the disaster has damaged three electric power supply infrastructures and left 900 households out of power, Global Times reported citing Xi’an Bureau of Emergency Management.

Xi’an city immediately set up an onsite command centre and deployed 14 rescue teams, including firefighting and police departments with more than 980 personnel to carry out search, rescue and disaster relief operations.

Furthermore, 1,100 units of equipment and tools including life detectors, satellite phones, excavators, and search and rescue dogs have been deployed to conduct search, rescue and disaster relief operations, according to Global Times report.

As of Sunday evening, 186 residents have been relocated and resettled and three severely damaged sections of the National Highway 210 have been restored. Work is being carried out on 21 slightly damaged road sections and communication services have been restored in 49 impacted regions. In the meantime, power supply has been restored to 855 households.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that two houses in the village were washed away, with nearby roads, bridges, power supplies and other infrastructures damaged.

The Xi’an detachment of the armed police force in Shaanxi deployed over 100 personnel to the impacted area. Preliminary search and rescue operations are being conducted in the affected area.

As of Sunday morning, rescue forces had shifted 81 residents and 11 vehicles to safe locations, and were providing assistance to find four deceased villagers, Global Times reported. A local villager said that flooding and mudslides began following one or two hours of heavy rain on Friday afternoon.

Local fire department, police and emergency management authorities have been making efforts to coordinate rescue operation. After receiving the report, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a working group to the disaster site to assist with rescue and response efforts.