2024 Zhenxiong County landslide
| Date | 22 January 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | 05:51 (UTC+8) |
| Location |
|
| Deaths | 44 |
| Injuries | 2 |
The 2024 Zhenxiong County landslide, also known as the "1·22 Zhenxiong Landslide", was a major landslide disaster that occurred at 5:51 a.m. (CST) on 22 January 2024 in the Hexin and Heping Villager Groups of Liangshui Village, Tangfang Town, Zhenxiong County, Zhaotong, Yunnan, China.[1]The disaster killed 44 people and injured two others.[2][3]
Cause
Following an on-site investigation, an expert panel preliminarily concluded that the landslide was caused by a combination of factors:
- The area's steep topography created favorable conditions for slope failure.
- The layered, fractured rock mass was the principal geological factor contributing to the collapse.
- Continuous infiltration of precipitation prior to the disaster softened weak structural planes within the rock mass. Rain and snowfall immediately before the collapse further increased groundwater accumulation until a critical threshold was reached, ultimately triggering the landslide.[4]
Incident
On 21 January, Liangshui Village in Tangfang Town experienced sleet, although snowfall was relatively light.[5] However, according to China Central Television (CCTV), the landslide site received heavier snowfall during the night of 21 January.[6]
At approximately 5:51 a.m. on 22 January, a landslide suddenly occurred. According to estimates by the natural resources department of the on-site command headquarters, approximately 300,000 cubic metres of earth and rock collapsed.[6]
Rescue
Following the disaster, the Yunnan Provincial Disaster Reduction Committee activated a Level III emergency disaster relief response, deploying 10 loaders, 33 fire engines, and more than 200 rescue personnel to carry out search and rescue operations.[7][8] Rescue efforts were subsequently expanded to more than 300 personnel with over 50 pieces of rescue equipment and vehicles.[9]
Wang Ning, Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, made arrangements for the emergency response, while Governor Wang Yubo led a provincial task force to the disaster site to direct rescue operations.[10]
By 23 January, the number of rescue personnel had increased to more than 1,000, supported by 45 search-and-rescue dogs and 120 pieces of rescue equipment, including excavators, loaders, and transport vehicles.[11]
At a press conference held by the Command Headquarters for the 1·22 Zhenxiong Landslide Disaster Response at 10:00 p.m. on 25 January, officials announced that the final missing person had been recovered at 8:04 p.m. that day. All 44 missing persons had been located and confirmed dead, marking the completion of the primary search and rescue operation.[12]
The rescue operation lasted approximately 85 hours, involving 28 rescue teams, 1,557 personnel, more than 270 rescue vehicles and pieces of equipment, and 80 search-and-rescue dogs.[13]
Aftermath
Following the disaster, authorities evacuated and temporarily relocated 918 residents from 223 households. Zhenxiong County implemented temporary resettlement measures and began formulating a post-disaster reconstruction plan.Families of those killed were temporarily relocated to government-designated residential communities in the county seat. Other affected households were given the option of staying in centralized resettlement sites or arranging temporary accommodation outside the affected area by staying with relatives or friends or renting housing, with the government providing rental subsidies. Living allowances were also provided to displaced residents.Households accommodated in government resettlement communities were supplied with basic household necessities. Authorities also provided assistance with daily living, material supplies, psychological counselling, medical care, heating, and education to ensure that the basic needs of displaced residents were met.[12]On 26 January, families of those killed in the 1·22 Zhenxiong Landslide began moving into temporary resettlement communities in the county seat. The local government also introduced a living subsidy programme, providing CN¥200 per person per day for the first ten days following the disaster and CN¥35 per person per day for the subsequent six months.[14]
References
- ↑ "云南昭通市镇雄县塘房镇凉水村山体滑坡灾害致47人失联" [Landslide in Liangshui Village, Tangfang Town, Zhenxiong County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, leaves 47 people missing.]. www.jiemian.com. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "云南镇雄山体滑坡灾害44名失联人员全部找到 均已遇难" [All 44 missing persons from the landslide in Zhenxiong, Yunnan, have been found; all have perished.]. www.peopleapp.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "国家卫健委：2名云南昭通山体滑坡伤员已被收治，目前在医院观察和治疗" [National Health Commission: Two injured individuals from the landslide in Zhaotong, Yunnan, have been admitted and are currently under observation and receiving treatment at the hospital.]. wap.bjd.com.cn. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "专家分析云南镇雄山体滑坡初步成因" [Experts analyze the preliminary causes of the landslide in Zhenxiong, Yunnan.]. www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "云南镇雄山体滑坡47人被埋，村民：凌晨多人被叫醒待命救援" [47 people buried in landslide in Zhenxiong, Yunnan; villagers report being woken up in the early hours to stand by for rescue operations.]. www.ctdsb.net. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- 1 2 "已搜救出8人，均无生命体征！云南镇雄山体滑坡救援存在哪些难点？" [Eight people have been recovered, none showing signs of life. What are the challenges facing the landslide rescue operation in Zhenxiong, Yunnan?]. Weixin Official Accounts Platform. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "突发！山体滑坡！初步核实18户44人被埋" [Breaking! Landslide! Preliminary reports confirm 44 people from 18 households are buried.]. www.thepaper.cn. Archived from the original on 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "云南镇雄县凉水村发生山体滑坡 初步核实18户47人失联" [A landslide occurred in Liangshui Village, Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province; preliminary verification indicates that 47 people from 18 households are missing.]. www.news.cn. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "最新消息！云南山体滑坡已致2人遇难" [Breaking news! Landslide in Yunnan leaves 2 dead.]. www.thepaper.cn. Archived from the original on 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "云南镇雄山体滑坡已致47人失联" [Landslide in Zhenxiong, Yunnan, leaves 47 missing.]. www.thepaper.cn. Archived from the original on 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "直击云南山体滑坡灾后现场：泥石接近5楼高度，救援队零下2℃烤火取暖" [On-the-scene look at the aftermath of the Yunnan landslide: Mud and debris piled up nearly five stories high; rescue teams warmed themselves by a fire in -2°C temperatures.]. export.shobserver.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- 1 2 "镇雄山体滑坡灾害救援基本结束，44名失联人员全部找到均遇难". www.thepaper.cn. Archived from the original on 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ 新京报 (2024-01-26). "云南举行深切哀悼镇雄山体滑坡灾害遇难同胞仪式" [Yunnan holds a ceremony to deeply mourn the compatriots who lost their lives in the Zhenxiong landslide disaster.]. 手机新浪网 (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "云南镇雄：遇难人员家属陆续搬入县城过渡安置点" [Zhenxiong, Yunnan: Families of the deceased are moving into transitional resettlement sites in the county seat.]. www.yn.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2026-06-25.