(TibetanReview.net, Aug04’24) – It appears to be clear from the latest Chinese state media reports that the same flood and landslide toppled a tunnel-bridge and hit a village in the night of Aug 2-3 in Kangding (Tibetan: Dartsedo) City, Tibet’s historical gateway to China but now part of China’s Sichuan Province. Four people have died and 23 remain missing as of 11pm Aug 3, according to latest Chinese state media updates.
Besides, 16 individuals were hospitalized for medical treatment, with four having been discharged while the remaining 12 still in hospital are without any life-threatening risks, the state Xinhua news agency Aug 4 cited rescue headquarters of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze (or Ganzi, Tibetan: Kardze) as saying. Kangding is the prefectural capital.
The update said the collapse of the bridge between two mountain-tunnels on the Kangding-Luding section of the Yakang expressway resulted in the plummeting of four vehicles, with one individual rescued and hospitalized, and 10 others still missing. Among the missing were stated to be some people who had been on the expressway bridge.
A total of 939 affected residents were stated to have been relocated and resettled.
The report said Ridi village, part of which got swept away by the landslide, is located in a valley at an altitude of 1,300 metres above sea level, while the mountains nearby are steep and over 5,000 metres above sea level.
The report cited a local official as saying the villagers had been notified to evacuate just 10 minutes before the mudslide arrived after the local river chief found the river water had become muddy amid heavy rain.