Jiangxi Mudslide: Rescuers Reach Remote Village, 3 Dead and 9 Missing

Rescue teams in eastern China have reached the core area of a mudslide-hit village in Jiangxi Province, where at least three people are confirmed dead and nine remain missing. The disaster struck Mingkeng Village in Ji'an City's Gaoping town in the early hours of Saturday, following days of torrential rain brought by Typhoon Saudel.

The most severe damage occurred in the Shixia group of the village, where the mudslide destroyed several self-built homes and severed road access, power, and communication lines. Villagers managed to report the incident via satellite phone at 6:40 AM, prompting immediate deployment of fire and rescue teams from Ji'an, Ganzhou, and neighboring areas.

The journey to the site proved arduous. Rescuers encountered multiple landslides blocking their path and had to stop repeatedly to clear debris. "The only road leading into the village had already been washed away," said rescuer Zhao Guoxia, noting that the team arrived at the scene after 10:00 AM but could not enter directly.

After clearing roads and trekking on foot, rescue teams finally reached the core area around 11:20 AM. They deployed life detectors, demolition tools, drones, and two search dogs to comb through the debris of destroyed buildings. The operation led to the discovery of two villagers trapped in a collapsed house on a nearby hillside.

Rescuer Miao Cheng described the scene as challenging, with an enormous volume of debris burying concrete slabs and other materials. "Right in the middle of our rescue efforts on-site, around noon, another moderate-scale collapse occurred all of a sudden," he said, forcing teams to evacuate to a safe area until conditions stabilized.

Additional rescue units arrived at 4:00 PM, conducting real-time drone reconnaissance and assessing damaged road sections. Search operations continued through Sunday as teams worked to locate the missing and clear the affected area.