Landslide in southwest China traps people, rescue efforts underway

Buildings are seen toppled by rocks and mud following a landslide in Pengshui County in southwestern China's Chongqing on July 17, 2026. - Mimama via AP

BEIJING: A landslide Friday (July 17) in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing buried some residential buildings, trapping an undetermined number of people, state media reported.

State broadcaster CCTV said at least eight people were rescued from the debris, and that search and rescue operations were ongoing.

Rescue workers searching for survivors at the site of a landslide along Wujiang river in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqin on July 17, 2026. - Reuters

CCTV said the landslide occurred at around 9:08 a.m. in Chongqing’s Pengshui county.

Images by the broadcaster showed part of a mountainside collapsing onto a residential area. Several buildings were located next to the collapse site, while rescue crews were seen searching through the debris.

Pengshui County is located in the southeast part of Chongqing, bordering the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou. - AP