Rescuers in southwest China race extreme weather to reach residents trapped by landslide

Beijing activates a Level 2 national emergency response as heavy rainfall triggers a major landslide in Pengshui county2-MIN READ2-MIN0ListenPublished: 4:00pm, 17 Jul 2026Updated: 6:03pm, 17 Jul 2026Hundreds of rescuers are racing against incoming thunderstorms in southwestern China after a landslide struck Chongqing’s Pengshui county on Friday morning, destroying buildings and leaving residents trapped under mud and debris.The disaster is among several brought about by heavy rainfall and extreme weather to hit parts of China in recent weeks, and has resulted in senior rescue officials being sent to the scene from Beijing.Chongqing landslide traps dozensLocal community officials in Hanjia subdistrict of Chongqing’s Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county, witnessed sporadic rockfalls and issued an emergency warning at about 8am on Friday. They rushed to evacuate more than 60 residents, according to mainland news portal Thepaper.cn.