A landslide in the Tanchang county of Longnan city, Gansu province, has left at least 21 people dead. The disaster occurred shortly before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, burying 33 people in a valley in the Nanhe township.
Search and rescue operations concluded by early Wednesday. Of the 33 people trapped, 21 were confirmed dead, seven sustained minor injuries, and five were not injured. Most of those affected were residents from nearby villages employed as temporary laborers at a state-run forestry farm encompassing the valley.
The mountainous region, characterized by steep valleys and crisscrossing rivers, is prone to natural disasters such as landslides and flash floods, particularly during the rainy season. While the cause of this specific landslide remains unclear, the event coincided with intense storms and rains in central and southern China that killed approximately 17 people and injured hundreds of others.