China mudslide kills two, leaves 10 missing after heavy rain
A mudslide in eastern China killed two people and left 10 others missing after days of torrential rain brought by tropical cyclone Saudel, state media reported on Sunday.
The mudslide struck a village in Suichuan County of Jiangxi province early Saturday, damaging around a dozen houses. Authorities said rescue teams rushed to the area and moved residents to safer locations as a precaution.
One person rescued from the debris was found dead, while two others were pulled out alive and reported to be in good condition, authorities said.
On Sunday morning, rescuers found another missing person dead inside one of the houses that had collapsed, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Typhoon Saudel made two landfalls in Zhejiang province on August 28 before making a third landfall as a tropical storm in Fujian province on Thursday, according to China's official news agency Xinhua. Both provinces are adjacent to Jiangxi.
In Fujian, authorities said on Friday that several residents remained unaccounted for following days of heavy rain, Xinhua reported. The exact number of missing people was not immediately clear.
More than 100 houses collapsed in Huating Town in Putian city, while a dike overflowed and breached on Thursday afternoon, flooding villages and leaving residents trapped, the report said.
Around 600,000 people had been evacuated from vulnerable offshore and inland areas of Fujian by Friday night, Xinhua reported.
Footage released by CCTV showed flooded streets resembling rivers as rescuers used inflatable boats to reach affected areas. (with inputs from Associated Press)
