Heavy rainfall from a tropical storm triggered a devastating landslide in Yuelin village, located in Hengyang city, Hunan province, central China, on Sunday morning around 8 am, killing 15 people and injuring six others.
According to the state-run Xinhua news agency report, a residential house was partially destroyed by a landslide, resulting in the burial of 18 individuals.
The landslide was apparently triggered by flash flooding originating from a nearby mountain.
The injured individuals have been transported to a medical facility for treatment. According to the report, the rescue efforts have been completed, with over 300 rescuers deployed to the scene.
China has experienced a summer marked by extreme weather conditions, including flash floods affecting both the northern and southwestern regions of the country. Last week, a tropical storm brought heavy rainfall to various parts of China.
The cyclonic winds associated with Gaemi, which had been downgraded from a typhoon, had largely dissipated by July 28.
However, many areas in China remained under alert due to the persistent risk of flooding caused by the preceding rains. Forecasters cautioned that the remnants of Gaemi could still bring additional rainfall to cities already saturated with water.
(With inputs from agencies)