Published: 11:29, February 9, 2025 | Updated: 17:17, February 9, 2025
Rescue operations intensify in Sichuan as 28 reported missing
By Huang Zhiling and Peng Chao
Rescuers work at the site of a landslide in Jinping village, Junlian county in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan province. (PHOTO BY ZHUANG GE'ER FOR CHINA DAILY)

Update: One confirmed dead and 28 still missing after landslide

Twenty-nine people have been confirmed missing after a devastating landslide hit a village in Yibin, Sichuan province on Saturday, according to a news conference held early Sunday morning.

The landslide, which occurred at around 11:50 am in Jinping village of Junlian county in Yibin, buried 10 residential houses and one production facility.

The total number of missing people is still being verified.

ALSO READ: Xi orders all-out rescue of people buried in Sichuan landslide 

An aerial photo taken on Feb 9, 2025 shows the site of a landslide in Jinping village, Junlian county in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan province. (PHOTO BY ZHUANG GE'ER FOR CHINA DAILY)

Preliminary assessments indicate that the recent continuous rainfall and geological conditions triggered the disaster. The landslide volume exceeded 100,000 cubic meters, forming a 1.2-kilometer-long debris flow, and remains active.

To date, Sichuan authorities have mobilized 949 rescue personnel to the site, along with engineering emergency equipment and rescue materials.

READ MORE: 12 dead after landslide hits central China village

An aerial photo taken on Feb 9, 2025 shows the site of a landslide in Jinping village, Junlian county in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan province. (PHOTO BY ZHUANG GE'ER FOR CHINA DAILY)

Local officials confirmed that two trapped individuals have been rescued and are out of danger.

Meanwhile, over 200 residents at risk have been relocated.