8 dead, 34 missing after landslide buries more than 10 buildings in Chongqing, China
At least eight people have been confirmed dead and 34 remain missing after a mountainside collapsed onto a residential area in southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality on July 17, 2026, burying more than 10 buildings beneath thousands of cubic meters of rock and soil. Rescue operations continued into July 18 despite persistent rain, unstable terrain, and the risk of additional collapses.
Aerial view of the Chongqing, China on July 17, 2026. Credit: CCTV+
The collapse occurred at approximately 09:08 local time (LT) in Qingyang Village in Taiyuan Town, located in the Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, on the southeastern outskirts of Chongqing.
About 18 000 m3 (635 600 ft3) of rock and debris detached from a mountain slope overlooking the Wujiang River, engulfing homes below, according to Chinese authorities.
One of the largest boulders involved in the collapse was estimated at roughly 3 000 m3 (106 000 ft3), complicating rescue efforts.
Rescuers had recovered eight bodies while 34 people remained unaccounted for as of July 18. Ten people were rescued alive and transported to hospitals, including two with serious injuries. Over 1 100 residents were evacuated from surrounding areas due to the risk of further collapse.
More than 800 rescuers, including firefighters, emergency management personnel, police, medical teams, and geological experts, were deployed to the disaster zone. Drones, life-detection radar, search dogs, and heavy earth-moving equipment have been used to locate survivors.
However, continuous rainfall and unstable rock masses have significantly slowed operations and increased risks for rescue crews. Authorities said engineers planned controlled drilling and blasting to remove several massive boulders blocking access to potential survival spaces beneath the debris.
Residents reported hearing unusual cracking sounds and observing small rockfalls before the main collapse. Officials had issued evacuation notices to some households shortly before the mountainside failed, allowing several residents to escape.
Water, electricity, and gas supplies were suspended within a 1 km (0.6 miles) radius around the disaster site to support emergency operations and reduce secondary hazards.
The National Development and Reform Commission allocated 30 million yuan (approximately USD 4.2 million) for emergency recovery, including restoration of damaged infrastructure and public services.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has called for all-out efforts to carry out search and rescue operations in a scientific manner after a landslide struck southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, while stressing the need to guard against secondary disasters.
References:
1 8 dead, 34 missing after mountain collapse hits China’s Chongqing – Xinhua – July 17, 2026
2 China allocates 30 mln yuan for post-disaster recovery in Chongqing – Xinhua – July 18, 2026
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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