All-out rescue efforts underway after Sichuan landslide

As of 11 am on Sunday, 949 rescuers, along with over 200 sets of emergency equipment, such as excavators, trucks and ambulances, have been deployed in the rescue mission, according to the command center of emergency rescue for the landslide.

Two trapped individuals had been rescued and were out of danger, the command center said. Around 360 residents who were at risk have been relocated and efforts have been made to ensure their basic needs, including food, accommodation and heating, it added.

To support the rescue operations, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management have allocated 30 million yuan ($4.1 million) from central natural disaster relief funds. The National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 50 million yuan from the central budget to help restore infrastructure and public facilities.

Preliminary analysis indicates that the recent continuous rainfall and geological conditions triggered the landslide, creating a debris flow with a total volume exceeding 100,000 cubic meters and resulting in a 1.2-kilometer-long debris accumulation zone, Xue Qing, executive vice-mayor of Yibin, told a news conference early on Sunday morning.

Zhou Yanfeng, deputy head of the national work safety emergency rescue survey team, who led a team to the site, told China Central Television that the risk of additional landslides is still high due to the incessant rainfall over the past few days.

Zhou said his team had installed geological radars on the mountain opposite the landslide area. The devices can track the mountain's movements and provide real-time monitoring of the landslide area, enabling early warning of potential secondary landslides and ensuring the safety of the rescuers.