Deadly rockslide in southern China under investigation

A large rockslide at Fude village in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in southern China, occurred on the morning of February 8, 2016 (local time). 6 people died when a two-storey building collapsed, Xinhua reported.

All the deaths occurred in a building which was completely devastated by the rockfall. As the rock debris came down, a neighbour from the village, Lan Min, was awoken by the loud noise. At first, he had mistaken it for fireworks.

"But then I felt the house was shaking. I thought it was an earthquake and told my family to rush out."

After turning back, they witnessed their neighbor's house destroyed while the wall of their homes also suffered damage from the falling debris.

No rainfall was reported at the time of the incident, and the underlying cause of the rockslide is currently under investigation.

According to expert's analysis, the landslide entrained other debris while traveling down the slope, and the scar from the source of the rockfall is heavily discolored in comparison to the freshly fractured rock downslope. This indicates the rockfall may have originated from a pre-existing joint or fracture.

Featured image: A rockfall at Fude village, southern China, February 8, 2016. Image credit: @XHNews