ගංවතුර, නායයාම් වලින් සිචුආන් වල 09ක් මරුට ; 18ක් අතුරුදහන්

9 killed, 18 missing in southwest China flash flood, mudslide

At least nine people were killed and 18 others remained missing as of Monday morning after a flash flood and mudslide struck the city of Kangding in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday.

The disaster took place at about 03:30 Saturday in Kangding City, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, toppling a tunnel bridge and destroying homes in the city's Ridi Village.

The bridge's collapse resulted in four vehicles with 11 people falling, among which two people have been confirmed dead, one was rescued, and eight remain missing. Seven villagers in Ridi were killed and ten are still missing.

The village is located in a valley at an altitude of 1,300 meters above sea level, while the mountains nearby are over 5,000 meters above sea level.

Survivors of the deadly mudslide have been waiting at the site of the disaster for news of their missing relatives.

"One method we use is to wait for the rescue team to find out our family members. We have also helped with the search and rescue efforts here. We have never encountered such a large geological disaster. People who have lived here for generations have never thought about it either. So far, search efforts have not been ideal, because the amount of mud and rock flow is too large which has added to our workload. What we know now is that our second aunt seems to be buried under these rocks. Our family and the search and rescue team have been working together throughout the process to find survivors," said a local resident.

More than 1,500 rescue personnel and 30 medical staffers have already been dispatched to the scene, with eight rescue dogs and one light helicopter working as well.

More than 400 victims have been safely relocated to four resettlement sites, where arrangements for water and power supply, accommodation, and meals have been made.

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