Chinese vice premier stresses all-out search, rescue of people missing in landslide

KUNMING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has led a working group to rush to southwestern Yunnan Province after a landslide struck a local village early on Monday, calling for all-out efforts in search and rescue of the missing people.

The landslide hit Liangshui Village in the city of Zhaotong, at approximately 6 a.m. Monday, burying 47 people. Seven people have been confirmed dead as of 6:30 p.m., local authorities said. Rescuers were in a race against time to search for the missing people.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected the affected area, learned about the rescue progress, and studied the arrangements for rescue force on site.

He went to a hospital and relocation sites to visit the injured and people who had been relocated.

Stressing the complexity of the terrain and potential landslide risks, Zhang underscored the need to fully leverage professional rescue equipment and advanced monitoring equipment, to accelerate the progress of the search and rescue.

He also called for non-stop monitoring and early warning on surrounding mountains to guard against the occurrence of potential secondary disaster during the rescue.