2 Killed, 21 Missing in Sichuan Landslide

Two people were killed and 21 others remain missing after a landslide in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, on Wednesday.

The landslide, triggered by incessant rain since 8:00 PM  on Monday, occurred in Sanxi, a village in Zhongxing, at about 10:30 AM.

Ma Kun, fire brigade chief under Chengdu public security bureau, said the landslide has left more than 300 people stranded.

"As the road to the village has been destroyed, rescuers have to get there on foot. Rescue operations are proving to be very difficult," he said.

Mud and rocks brought down by the heavy rainfall cover an area of 2 sq km, blocking the road.

Dong Guodong, a Dujiangyan resident who witnessed the landslide, said, "It engulfed the homes of the victims within several minutes."

Liu Senlin, a farmer in Zhongxing who helps patrol the town to detect geological hazards, rushed to the scene at about 1:00 PM  and found at least eight rural resorts had been buried. They were used by elderly people from Chengdu to escape the summer heat in the city.

"Temperatures in Zhongxing are two to three degrees lower than in Chengdu and it is popular with people who want a cooler summer," Liu said.

"The Zhongxing town government is trying to work out how many people were in the resorts."