BEIJING — The death toll from a devastating mudslide in eastern China has risen to three, while nine people remain missing, after days of torrential rain triggered by Typhoon Saudel battered parts of the country.
The mudslide struck a village in Suichuan County in Jiangxi Province early Saturday, damaging at least a dozen homes and forcing emergency crews to launch a large-scale search and rescue operation.
Authorities moved residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations as fears grew that further landslides and flooding could follow.
Search Continues for Nine Missing People
Rescue teams continued searching through debris after the mudslide swept through part of the village.
Construction machinery was deployed to help clear roads and reopen access to the affected area, while emergency workers searched for survivors and assessed the damage caused by the disaster.
Authorities said more than 5,300 people across the country had been relocated to safer areas as heavy rainfall and unstable ground created continuing risks.
The full extent of the damage remains unclear as rescue operations continue.
Heavy Rain Triggers More Deadly Disasters
The Jiangxi mudslide was not the only deadly incident linked to the severe weather.
In neighboring Hunan Province, state broadcaster CCTV reported that two people were killed following intense downpours brought by the typhoon.
The heavy rain triggered landslides and other weather-related disasters across affected areas, although authorities did not specify the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths in Hunan.
The separate incidents highlight the widespread danger posed by prolonged rainfall even after a tropical cyclone weakens.
Typhoon Saudel Leaves Trail of Severe Weather
Typhoon Saudel made two landfalls in Zhejiang Province on Aug. 28 before making a third landfall as a tropical storm in Fujian Province last week.
The system brought days of intense rainfall to parts of eastern and southeastern China, saturating the ground and significantly increasing the risk of landslides.
In Fujian, authorities had already reported that several residents were unaccounted for following days of severe weather.
The continued rainfall has complicated rescue efforts and raised concerns about further disasters in mountainous and rural communities.
Villages Face Growing Landslide Risk
Landslides are particularly dangerous after prolonged periods of heavy rain because saturated soil can suddenly collapse and sweep through homes, roads and entire communities.
Mountainous villages are often especially vulnerable, particularly when roads are blocked and emergency crews face difficulty reaching affected residents.
Chinese authorities have intensified evacuation efforts in areas considered at risk as rescuers continue searching for the missing.
Rescue Race Continues
For families in Suichuan County, the focus remains on the nine people who have not yet been found.
Emergency workers are racing against time while authorities monitor weather conditions and the stability of the surrounding terrain.
With the confirmed death toll now at three and severe weather affecting multiple provinces, the disaster has become another reminder of the destructive aftermath tropical systems can leave behind.
As rescuers dig through mud and debris, the search for the missing continues — while thousands remain displaced as China braces for the possibility of further landslides and flooding.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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