China activates Level-IV geological disaster response after Gansu landslide

An aerial drone photo taken on July 7, 2026 shows rescuers working at the site of a landslide in a village in Nanhe Township, Tanchang County, Longnan City, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV national emergency response for geological disasters in northwest China's Gansu Province and dispatched a working team to guide rescue and relief efforts after a landslide struck a village on Tuesday, leaving multiple people buried and dead.

The landslide occurred at around 6:56 a.m. in a village in Nanhe Township, Tanchang County, Longnan City, according to local authorities. A total of 33 people were buried beneath the debris.

As of 2:50 p.m., 21 people had been pulled from the debris, five of whom died despite medical treatment, according to the latest official figures.

The ministry urged local authorities to rapidly mobilize nearby rescue forces, conduct rescue operations in a scientific manner, and guard against secondary disasters.

Local fire and rescue authorities dispatched rescue personnel to the scene, while personnel equipped with a slope monitoring radar were also deployed to assist in the rescue operation.

An aerial drone photo taken on July 7, 2026 shows rescuers working at the site of a landslide in a village in Nanhe Township, Tanchang County, Longnan City, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

Rescuers work at the site of a landslide in a village in Nanhe Township, Tanchang County, Longnan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

Rescuers work at the site of a landslide in a village in Nanhe Township, Tanchang County, Longnan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 7, 2026 shows the site of a landslide in a village in Nanhe Township, Tanchang County, Longnan City, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)