21 Forestry Workers Die in Northwest China Landslide

Landslide Buried 21 Forestry Workers in Northwestern China

A landslide struck a team of forestry workers heading out to clear and maintain forest land on Tuesday morning. The disaster occurred shortly before 7 a.m., burying all 21 workers under about 40 meters (130 feet) wide swath of denuded mountainside.

Rescue operations concluded with the loss of 21 lives, while twelve others survived, seven with minor injuries, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The landslide covered roughly 5,400 square meters (58,000 square feet), and excavation efforts were underway using excavators. The material left by the landslide was unstable, posing a risk for another potential slide, according to Longnan city natural resources official Yang Yaoxian.

The landslide occurred in an uninhabited area of Tanchang county, Gansu province, approximately 220 kilometers (140 miles) south of Lanzhou, the provincial capital.