Over 15,000 evacuated after mudslides, landslides in east China's Jiangxi
Baku, September 9, AZERTAC
Twelve people had been confirmed dead and one person remained missing after a mudslide struck Mingkeng Village in east China's Jiangxi Province, as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to Xinhua.
The mudslide hit the village in Suichuan County in the early hours on Saturday.
After days of torrential rain, one person was confirmed dead, and two others were reported missing after landslides struck Zuo'an Town and Tanghu Town in the same county.
Search and rescue operations, road reinforcement and prevention of secondary disasters are underway. As of Tuesday afternoon, over 15,000 residents of Suichuan County had been evacuated to nearby safety sites. The residents were provided with necessities such as drinking water, quilts, medicines and disinfection facilities.
A tea processing workshop in Tanghu Town has been turned into a temporary shelter with over 800 residents now staying there. Vehicles loaded with vegetables, pork, and bottled water have been dispatched to the site. The workshop now has separate areas for resting, eating, and supplies, and medical staff are on hand to help if anyone needs care.
Ye Xiangdian, one of the evacuees from Ganshan Village of Tanghu Town, quickly packed a few personal belongings and left home in haste after receiving the evacuation notice. Once communications were restored, Ye immediately contacted family members to let them know he was safe. "We have enough food and clothing here, which makes us feel much at ease," he said. Xie Shuhua, a village official of Ganshan, has spent days at the shelter, listening to villagers and learning about their needs, as many of them left home in a hurry with little time to prepare. "So we keep checking on them, ask what they want, and do our best to make sure they have it," Xie said. "Houses can be rebuilt. As long as people are safe, there is always hope," he added.
Meanwhile, more than 200 villagers from Mingkeng have been resettled to a homestay in neighboring Wuzhifeng Township. At lunchtime, a variety of hot meals were served in the dining hall. Since many of the people relocated were elderly, most of the dishes were made to be soft and easy to eat.
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