Landslide kills 21 forestry workers in Tanchang County, China
A landslide trapped 33 people at the Minjiang Forestry General Farm in Rencang Village, Gansu, China, at 06:56 LT on July 7, 2026. As of 12:30 LT, 18 people had been rescued. 13 had normal vital signs and five were undergoing emergency treatment.
Gansu, China landslide rescue coordination on July 7, 2026. Credit: Gansu Government
A landslide struck a forestry area near Rencang Village in Nanhe Township, Tanchang County, Longnan, Gansu, at 06:56 LT on July 7, 2026 (22:56 UTC on July 6), trapping 33 people, according to Gansu provincial authorities. By 12:30 LT, 18 people had been rescued.
Provincial authorities said 13 of the rescued people had normal vital signs, while five were receiving emergency treatment.
Emergency, firefighting, and public security departments began rescue operations after the landslide, while local authorities relocated affected residents and said they were taking measures against secondary hazards.
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources activated a Level III geological-disaster prevention response at 09:00 LT on July 7 and dispatched a working group to support rescue operations. The ministry also instructed provincial authorities to provide technical support, conduct hazard inspections, and strengthen monitoring and early-warning work.
Search-and-rescue operations remained underway at the time of press.
Update
09:34 UTC, July 8
Search-and-rescue operations at the Tanchang County landslide site have ended, with all 33 trapped people accounted for.
The final toll stands at 21 fatalities, seven people with minor injuries, and five people uninjured, according to Xinhua, citing a July 8 press conference by the Longnan municipal government. The seven injured people were reported to be in stable condition.
Authorities said the trapped group consisted of 33 Minjiang Forestry General Farm workers who were walking through Baxiangou in Rencang Village, Nanhe Township, when the landslide struck at 06:56 LT on July 7 (22:56 UTC on July 6). All trapped people had been recovered by 03:20 LT on July 8 (19:20 UTC on July 7).
Longnan natural resources officials said the landslide occurred between Shangzhuang and Dala in Nanhe Township, on steep terrain with no residents nearby. The slide body was about 130 m (427 feet) long, covered about 5 400 m² (58 100 ft²), and had an estimated volume of about 10 000 m³ (353 000 ft³). It was described as a shallow soil landslide in an accumulation layer.
A preliminary assessment linked the collapse to steep terrain, erosion, and local geological conditions. Officials said the remaining landslide material was unstable and that secondary landslides remained possible.
References:
1 陇南市宕昌县发生一起山体滑坡 – Gansu.gov – July 7, 2026
2 胡昌升任振鹤在宕昌县山体滑坡现场指挥救援 – Gansu.gov – July 7, 2026
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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