Two people are known to have died and another 21 are missing following a landslide at Sanxi Village in Dujiangyan County, Sichuan Province, China. The incident happened at about 10.20 am local time (2.30 am GMT) on Wednesday 10 July 2013, when a 2 km section of hillside, made up of about 1.5 million cubic meters of mud, rocks and other debris, slumped onto part of the village, following several days of intense rain that have brought the worst flooding in southwest China for 50 years. The dead have been described as one local villager and one tourist. The remainder of the population of the village, and another 340 tourists, have been evacuated.
The approximate location of the 10 July 2013 Sanxi Landslide. Google Maps.
Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.
See also Great Sichuan Earthquake memorial destroyed by floods, Five killed and four injured in Yunnan Landslide, Six killed by Yunnan landslide, Two people killed in Hunan landslide and Four people killed in Sichuan landslide.
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