Landslide In China Leaves 26 Dead, 13 Missing: Grave Fears For Fujian Construction Workers Still Buried

Days of extreme, inclement weather in southeast China are being blamed as a landslide in China that left 26 dead and 13 missing. Authorities have expressed grave fears for those Fujian construction workers still buried beneath the tons of mud and rock brought down by the landslide. Dozens of workers were crushed and killed when the landslide collapsed offices and the temporary shed at a hydro-power station construction site in Sanming City, Fujian province, with them inside. The deadly China landslide occurred on Sunday, and rescue efforts have been hindered since then by intermittent rainfall, soft mud, and falling rocks.

Video: 35 people missing after a landslide hit Fujian, SE China.https://t.co/WIJlNxSAj8

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) May 8, 2016

China Radio International reports that hundreds of people have joined the Fujian landslide rescue and search operations, but on the second day of recovery efforts, only dead bodies have been pulled from the mass of wreckage, and conditions are not improving.

“Heavy machinery, including jacks, excavators and hydraulic pliers have all been deployed, but rescue efforts have been hampered by boulders, mud and twisted steel bars littering the site,” reports China R.I. of the landslide aftermath. “Rescuers have been separated into teams, focusing on the two major tasks: searching for the missing in the core area, and removing obstacles from the operating site.”

Aided by police-trained sniffer dogs and life detecting equipment, scores of rescuers searched the sloping, 10-meter-high pile created by the China landslide. The death toll, currently at 26, is expected to rise as more bodies are pulled from the mass of mud and rock under which dozens of Fujian construction workers were buried by the landslide in China on Sunday.

Xinhua: 22 Bodies Recovered From SE China Landslide https://t.co/jOuD8Mka7O pic.twitter.com/MgnYXvUs8a

— Voice of America (@VOANews) May 9, 2016

With the China landslide’s death toll at 26 dead with 13 missing, authorities have grave fears for those Fujian construction workers still buried, and locals have rallied to maintain and escalate rescue efforts. Chen Xiaoling, a military officer assisting with the landslide search and rescue operations, told China R.I. that a temporary rescue channel has been established to swiftly and efficiently transport relief materials and personnel to the Sanming City site where dozens perished.

“Our team rushed to the site immediately and set up a two-span 30-meter-long mechanized bridge, which opened a passage for rescue crew,” said Xiaoling to China R.I. “We are now ready for the next step of the rescue work.”

The disaster is said to result from the rising water levels in the river near the southeast China town, and local weather authorities have issued grave warnings to Fujian residents for secondary disasters from flooding, landslides, and rockfall.

“Authorities have postponed a plan to accelerate the flood discharge of an upstream reservoir, decreasing the flooding threat in the landslide area,” reports China R.I.

With grave fears and expectations of more dead bodies being found than live workers, the people of China are not without hope for the remaining Fujian construction workers not confirmed as having died in the landslide.

Paramilitary engineering officer Lu Dawei told China R.I. that two signs of life had been detected beneath the landslide mud and rubble.

“We’ve been using professional rescue machines, including different kinds of life detecting equipment, to thoroughly search for any survivors in the area,” Lu told China R.I. of the landslide rescue operations. “We’ve already detected two signs of life in the debris and will try to save every possible slide victim as soon as possible.”

According to The Guardian, Chinese president Xi Jinping has responded to news that the southeast China landslide by ordering “maximum efforts” to find survivors among the Fujian construction workers still buried under the landslide pile.

“President Xi [has] demanded all-out efforts to search for buried and missing people, and stressed proper treatment for the injured, while consoling the relatives of the injured and missing,” reports The Guardian.

Due to the inclement weather that caused the landslide in China, leaving 26 dead and 13 missing, authorities have expressed grave fears for those Fujian construction workers still buried beneath the landslide wreckage. With those warnings considered, hundreds of rescuers continue to search for and pursue signs of life in the wake of the deadly landslide.

[Photo by Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images]