Rescue workers search for missing people at the site of a landslide in Zhaotong, in southwest Chinas Yunnan province on January 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP
The death toll from a landslide in China’s rugged southwest rose to 44 on January 25, state media reported, after the body of the final missing person was found by responders.
The landslide, which occurred in Yunnan province’s Zhenxiong county before dawn on Monday, buried 18 homes and sparked the evacuation of more than 200 people.
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Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported earlier Thursday evening that nine more bodies were uncovered at the scene, raising the death toll from 34 on Wednesday.
A few hours later, CCTV reported that the final missing body had been located, bringing the total to 44.
President Xi Jinping on Monday ordered “all-out” rescue efforts.
Following the disaster, 200 rescue workers braved frigid temperatures and a layer of snow in a race against the clock to find buried villagers.
Images shared by state media showed responders in helmets, face masks and bright orange clothing digging through twisted metal and concrete through the night in a bid to locate survivors.
Dozens of fire trucks and large-scale digging equipment could also be seen.
Landslides are common in Yunnan, a far-flung and largely impoverished region of China where steep mountain ranges rise up to the vast Himalayan plateau.
China has experienced a string of natural disasters in recent months, some following extreme weather events such as sudden heavy downpours.
