A mudslide triggered by prolonged heavy rainfall has claimed one life and left 11 people missing in Jiangxi province, eastern China, according to local authorities. The incident occurred early Sunday in a village within Suichuan County, where the landslide also damaged approximately a dozen houses. Rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene, evacuating residents to safer locations to mitigate further risk.
Two individuals were successfully rescued alive and reportedly remain in stable condition. The mudslide is linked to the severe weather brought by tropical cyclone Saudel, which had battered parts of eastern China over the past several days. Saudel made two landfalls in Zhejiang province on August 28 before striking Fujian province as a tropical storm on Thursday. Both Zhejiang and Fujian share borders with Jiangxi.
In Fujian province, which has also experienced intense rainfall, authorities have reported multiple residents missing amid widespread flooding. More than 100 houses collapsed in Huating Town, Putian city, after a dike was overtopped and breached on Thursday afternoon, leading to the inundation of nearby villages and the entrapment of residents. The precise number of missing people remains undetermined.
As of Friday night, local officials had evacuated approximately 600,000 residents from vulnerable coastal and inland areas in Fujian to reduce the risk of casualties. Images broadcast by China Central Television depicted streets submerged under water and rescue personnel using inflatable boats to reach stranded individuals.
The ongoing weather system and its associated flooding continue to pose significant challenges for emergency responders in the region. Authorities have emphasized the need for vigilance and the rapid relocation of populations at risk as they assess the full extent of the damage caused by the cyclone's heavy rains.
