Death toll from China landslide rises to 51, 10 missing: authorities
The death toll from a landslide in China's Pengshui County has risen to 51, with 10 people still missing. Rescue operations involving over 1,000 personnel have concluded after a massive search effort in difficult terrain.
Why it matters
This highlights the increasing frequency of natural disasters in China and the significant logistical challenges involved in large-scale search and rescue operations.
The death toll from a landslide in southwestern China earlier this month rose to 51, with 10 people still missing, authorities said on Thursday (July 30, 2026).
The landslide, which occurred on July 17 in Chongqing's Pengshui County, swept away several residential buildings at the foot of a mountain and along a riverbank.
State media footage showed a huge pile of rocks and earth that had collapsed into a residential and commercial street, with rescue workers deployed to the scene.
"Currently 51 people have been found and confirmed dead, and 10 people are still missing," Pengshui officials said on social media late on Thursday (July 30).
"In this disaster, a total of over 1,100 people were safely evacuated," they said, adding that 10 people were rescued, including three who had been briefly hospitalised.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in