Emergency response to geological disasters activated in China's Hunan

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a rescue team to Hengyang, a city in Central China's Hunan province, on Sunday after a rain-triggered landslide washed away a village house, resulting in casualties.

In its latest update, the provincial emergency command center said that the death toll from the landslide that struck Yuelin village in Hengyang around 8 am Sunday has risen to 15, with six others injured.

An emergency response to geological disasters has been activated in the province, the ministry said, adding that the team will assist local efforts in search and rescue, weather monitoring and warnings, and emergency response operations.

As of 8 am Sunday, China canceled warnings for Typhoon Gaemi after it weakened into a tropical depression. However, the ministry noted that residual winds from the typhoon continue to bring heavy rains to several provinces, including Hunan, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangdong, Liaoning and Jilin.

On Sunday, the ministry raised the emergency response for floods from Level IV to Level III in Northeast China's Jilin province, and activated a level-IV emergency response for southwest Chongqing municipality. China has a four-tier emergency response system for flood control, with Level I being the most urgent response.

The ministry has reiterated the need for strengthened efforts in forecast and early warning updates, eliminating hidden dangers and safety risks in key areas, and closely monitoring regions prone to flooding and waterlogging.

Special attention must also be given to accommodation facilities in mountainous regions, tourist attractions, farmhouses, as well as construction site camps, the ministry said, adding that measures such as business shutdowns and evacuation of people must be implemented if necessary.