Tourist resort mudslide forces 288 to evacuate in China's Sichuan

CHENGDU, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A mudslide at a tourist resort in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Thursday forced 288 people to evacuate, the resort's management authorities said.

No casualties have been reported so far after the mudslide occurred at around 11 a.m. at the Hailuogou Scenic Spot in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, said Li Shibing, deputy director of the resort's management committee.

Local residents, construction workers and employees from a nearby water factory were among the evacuated.

The mudslide caused severe damage to bridge and other facilities and led to a rising water level in a nearby gully, which threatened the safety of the downstream residents. Therefore, Li said, further evacuation is still underway.

Days of downpours have triggered several mudslides in Sichuan.

In a village in Heishui County, where two mudslides were reported, a township cadre was missing in a sudden mudslide when he was participating in the rescue and evacuation work.

No villagers have been reported dead or injured so far, and the disaster loss is being calculated, according to the county's flood control and drought relief headquarters.