At least 21 killed as landslide sweeps houses in northern China

 

• Landslides sweep houses, damage infrastructure.
• Soldiers, firefighters mobilised for the relief operations
  
• China faces deadly floods, historic rainfall in recent weeks.

As China has been under the wrath of severe weather conditions with people destruction and torrential downpours, the number of deaths from landslide in the province of Shaanxi rose to 21 with six others missing, according to authorities Sunday.

Chinese broadcaster CNR reported that the landslide occurred Friday in the village of Weiziping, south of Xi’an sweeping away two houses and damaging roads, bridges, electricity supply, and other infrastructure.

"Twenty-one people were found dead so far, and six others are still missing," the Xi'an emergency management bureau said in an online statement.

Chinese media earlier put the death toll at four Sunday.

"Four people have died and some people remain unreachable," CNR said on the social media network Weibo.

Previously, it reported that there were two dead and 16 missing.

CNR further reported that a hundred soldiers as well as firefighters were mobilised for the relief operations which are continuing Sunday.

China has faced deadly floods and historic rainfall in recent weeks, with the death toll from storms in the northern part of the country reaching at least 78 according to the latest toll reported Friday.

A video released by Xinhua news agency showed broken trees and rubble piling up along muddy roads in a village that lies in a mountainous area, with houses and infrastructure damaged or destroyed.

"Rescue work was underway, with 81 people and 11 vehicles deployed at the site," the Chinese broadcaster said.

Weakening typhoon Khanun

Meanwhile, Typhoon Khanun weakened into a tropical depression when it made landfall in China's Liaoning province on Friday night.

While it has since dissipated, residual rainfall over the rugged terrain of the northeastern province still poses flooding risks to low-lying cities including Liaoning province's Anshan, where 17,859 people have been evacuated from at-risk areas, CCTV reported.

"Overnight rainfall in Liaoning peaked at 52 millimetres (2 inches) per hour, with four reservoirs exceeding flood limits," it said.

"China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management held a special meeting on Sunday morning to discuss flood prevention and emergency response measures in badly affected provinces such as Liaoning, Shaanxi, Tianjin, and Chongqing," CCTV reported.