China landslide: Desperate search for survivors continues

Thousands of rescuers are searching through rubble to find 93 people missing after a landslide devastated their village in Sichuan province, southwestern China.

Dozens of homes were buried when the landslide hit Xinmo village in Mao County, Aba Prefecture Saturday morning.

According to the Mao County Government Press Office 10 bodies had been recovered since the beginning of the rescue operation on Saturday. The local government told CNN 93 people were still unaccounted for and 15 people thought to have died had been subsequently found safe.

Those earlier reported missing range from an 80-year-old man to a girl aged just two and a half, according to a list released by Aba Prefecture’s government, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescuers using life-detection equipment worked through the night to try to locate survivors, state news outlets reported Sunday, citing emergency officials.

More than 2,500 professional search and rescue workers are operating at the scene, Sichuan provincial television reported.

‘Maximum efforts’

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out efforts” to save those who were buried. “Authorities must make maximum efforts to reduce casualties and prevent secondary disasters,” he said.

Authorities launched the highest level of disaster response. Relatives of the missing and those suffering losses in the disaster will be given appropriate care, Xi said.

Heavy rainfall is thought to be a possible cause of landslide, which happened about 6 a.m. local time Saturday, according to the provincial government’s Land and Resources Department.

A smaller second landslide caused huge rocks to fall onto the village, which made it more difficult for heavy machinery to get to the scene, police team leader Wang Yongbo told CCTV.

Rescue workers walk to the location where they will look for survivors of a massive landslide near Xinmo village in China's Sichuan Province on June 25. Heavy rains caused the side of a mountain to collapse onto the small village.

Rescuers with sniffer dogs stand near equipment digging at the site of the landslide.

Rescue personal using front loaders search for missing people on June 25.

Household goods are scattered among the debris as rescue workers search for victims on June 25.

Two people cry among the rubble on June 25.

Volunteers deliver supplies to the site of a landslide on June 25.

A rescue worker takes a nap on June 25.

Rescue workers uncover the body of a victim June 24.

Emergency personnel swarm the area of landslide looking for survivors on June 24.

Emergency personnel work at the site of the massive landslide on June 24.

Much of village of Xinmo was covered by the landslide on June 24.

Vehicles and people line a road leading to the site of a landslide near Xinmo on June 24.

Massive landslide wipes out village in China's Sichuan Province

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Couple and infant emerge alive

A family of three emerged alive from the rubble Saturday, the Mao County government said on its official Weibo page. The couple and their baby were being treated at the Mao County People’s Hospital, the post said.

Qiao Dashuai, whose infant is 1 month old, said he heard a loud sound and tried to close the door to his house against the wind, he told CCTV.

“I ran outside and felt this strong wind and saw water rushing towards us,” he said. “A rock fell into our living room. We slowly crawled out while holding our baby and escaped. People from a neighboring village gave the baby a bath, and looked for clothes for us and the baby. As we went to the crossroads, we saw an ambulance. The ambulance sent us to Mao County (Hospital).”

“Now we just have external wounds, and there aren’t any major problems. But my heart feels uncomfortable,” he said.

The landslide happened at a high part of a mountain and fell onto the village, blocking a 2-kilometer (1.25-mile) section of a river, Xinhua reported.

Emergency personnel work at the scene of the landslide.

Landslide’s cause under review

Landslides’ causes are complicated and could include rain and unstable rock masses, an official from China’s Ministry of Land and Resources told CCTV.

“In this landslide, we feel that it is also because the whole mountain structure in Sichuan has become loosened following the earthquake on May 12, 2008. There is a drop in the ‘dynamic properties,’ and its stability has also decreased. The recent rainfall has triggered the landslide,” Tian Yanshan said.

“Earthquakes, mining activities – many man-made and natural activities can possibly trigger landslides. When the stability of the mountain structure has reached its maximum, any triggering factor could lead to landslides,” Tian said.

Mountainous Sichuan province has a history of landslides triggered by flooding and earthquakes. In 1933, 6,800 people died in landslides triggered by an earthquake and 2,500 more were killed when one of the landslides caused a dam to fail.

The landslide covered homes and left dozens missing.

UN condolences

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement through his spokesperson saying he is saddened about the deaths and devastation from the landslide.

“The secretary-general salutes the efforts of the national relief and recovery teams. The United Nations stands ready to support the authorities in any way it can if needed,” the statement reads.

“The secretary-general extends his condolences to the people and government of the People’s Republic of China and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.”

CNN’s Sophie Jeong, Susannah Cullinane, Spencer Feingold and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.