15 dead after landslide hits Central China village
Related: Emergency response to geological disasters activated in China's Hunan
CHANGSHA -- The death toll resulting from a rain-triggered landslide in Central China's Hunan province has risen to 15, the provincial emergency command center said Sunday.
The landslide hit Yuelin village in the city of Hengyang at approximately 8 am Sunday and washed away part of a residential house.
Fifteen people were dead and six others injured. The injured have been taken to hospital for treatment.
Over 300 rescuers have been dispatched and rescue efforts have concluded.
The village belongs to the Nanyue district of Hengyang, where the famous tourist attraction Hengshan Mountain is located.
Top provincial officials have led a team to the site and search and rescue efforts are underway, according to Hunan Daily.
Torrential rain has battered 494 townships in Hunan from 8 am on Saturday to 8 am on Sunday in the wake of Typhoon Gaemi, according to the Hunan provincial meteorological center. The rainfall is expected to continue in most parts of the province with the central and northern parts expected to have heavy rain till Monday daytime, the center said.
The province's headquarters for flood and drought control raised the response level for the flood to the second-highest on Saturday night.
