Over 8,000 people evacuated as mud and stone block river flow, causing risk of disaster

A landslide that has affected thousands of residents in Enshi city, Hubei province, is still deforming and expanding due to the continuous rainfall, but various measures have been taken to clear up the block and prevent possible flooding, the city government said on Wednesday.

By Tuesday afternoon, 8,397 residents nearby have been evacuated with nobody injured.

The massive flow was triggered by sustained rainfall starting June 8 in the city, with more than 1.5 times the amount of water coming down than previous years, according to the local meteorological department.

On Friday, roads and houses scattered on a highland beside Qingjiang River, a Yangtze River tributary began to crack, and local staff members responsible for disaster monitoring reported it to the local geological bureau.

The landslide area kept expanding. By 6 am on Tuesday, about 1.5 million cubic meters of mud and stones had fallen into the river and formed a barrier lake in the upper reaches of the tributary.