Twenty-one forestry workers perished in a devastating landslide that swept through a remote mountain valley in northwestern China. State media confirmed the grim toll on Wednesday, announcing the conclusion of rescue operations following a day of intense, arduous effort.
The team of workers had been heading out to clear and maintain forest land when the natural disaster struck without warning. It happened shortly before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, burying them beneath tons of earth and rock in the rugged, unforgiving terrain of the mountains.
Twelve other individuals, part of the same work group, managed to survive the incident. Seven of these survivors sustained minor injuries, state broadcaster CCTV reported, underscoring the sheer destructive force of the sudden natural event.
The Scale of the Disaster
The landslide itself measured approximately 40 meters (130 feet) wide, carving a destructive path through the valley. It covered a substantial ground area, roughly 5,400 square meters (58,000 square feet), officials detailed in their assessment.
Longnan city natural resources official Yang Yaoxian provided these precise figures at a news conference held to address the tragedy. He detailed the immense scale of the debris field, which significantly complicated all rescue efforts.
The accumulated material from the landslide reached depths of about 8 to 10 meters (26 to 33 feet). This massive amount of earth and rock necessitated the immediate deployment of excavators to assist in clearing operations, working through the unstable ground conditions.
Underlying Causes and Ongoing Risks
A preliminary assessment indicated multiple factors contributed to the catastrophic landslide, a complex interplay of environmental conditions. These included the steep terrain characteristic of the region, significant erosion over time, and the area’s specific geological structure, all combining to create highly hazardous conditions.
The material left behind by the landslide remains dangerously unstable, Yang Yaoxian warned publicly during his statement. There is a continued, serious risk of a second landslide occurring in the same vicinity, posing an ongoing threat to anyone in the area.
The incident took place in an uninhabited area, far removed from any permanent settlements or communities. It occurred specifically within Gansu province’s Tanchang county, a sparsely populated and geographically challenging region.
This particular location lies approximately 220 kilometers (140 miles) south of Lanzhou, the provincial capital. The remote nature of the valley, nestled deep within the mountains of northwestern China, complicated initial response efforts and the logistical deployment of heavy machinery and personnel.