Photo taken on May 8, 2016 shows a press conference held to brief a landslide in Taining County, southeast China's Fujian Province. The number of people missing from the landslide that hit Taining on Sunday has risen to 41, according to the press conference held Sunday night. (Photo: Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)
A total of 41 people were missing as of 9: 30 p.m. after a heavy rain-triggered landslide hit a hydropower station in southeast China's Fujian Province on Sunday morning, said the head of the station's construction contractor.
The landslide, which occurred at about 5 a.m. in mountainous county of Taining, has unleashed about 100,000 cubic meters of mud and rocks downhill, burying a temporary shed at a hydropower station construction site and damaging its offices.
Lyu Mengjing, Party secretary of Sinohydro Bureau 16 Co., Ltd, which is responsible for the construction along with Sinohydro Bureau 12 Co. Ltd, said at a press conference on Sunday night that rescuers will continue searching for the 41 workers from the two companies.
Another 13 people are being treated at a local hospital. All are in stable condition, authorities said.
The site under construction is an extension of the Chitan hydropower station, an affiliate of Huadian Fuxin Energy Limited Company. Construction began in November 2015 and is expected to begin operation in August 2017.
Armed police arrived at the site around 5 p.m. Sunday and joined existing rescuers to search those still missing.
Rescuers are also working to clear the roads leading to the landslide site after multiple cave-ins.
Boulders, mud and twisted steel bars are scattered around the landslide site. Sniffer dogs are working alongside over 600 rescuers to help detect any signs of life from the debris. Dozens of excavators are digging through the pile.
Dozens of ambulances and army vehicles are on standby should anyone are uncovered from the debris.
Intermittent rainfalls have complicated the rescue efforts. Authorities said precipitation in Taining is 35 percent higher than historical average since this year. In the 24 hours ending 11 a.m. Sunday, precipitation has hit up to 215.7 mm in parts of Taining, triggering landslide.
"We were still asleep when the mountains began to jolt very strongly and before we know it, sand and mud are flowing into our room." said Deng Chunwu, who survived the landslide by hiding underneath a supporting pole along with three other people in their work camp.
Deng added that their room has been pushed 10 meters further by the flowing mud.
"It's been raining all the time over the past couple of days and I didn't think it was a big deal," Deng said. "But the rain last night was more fierce than ever."
Deng and his roommates were sent to hospital at 9 a.m. Sunday. One of them was critically injured. All those treated in hospital are in stable condition, according to doctors.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged maximum efforts to ensure a speedy rescue mission. Premier Li Keqiang issued a written instruction calling for full efforts to search for and rescue those missing in the landslide and to treat the injured.
Torrential rainfall hit much of eastern and southern China over the weekend.
China is poised for a major flood year. The world's largest hydropower project, Three Gorges Reservoir, on China's longest river, the Yangtze,recorded inflow of 17,800 cubic meters per second on Sunday, the highest since 1992.
