Deadly landslide in China

This item appears on page 18 of the August 2017 issue.

A landslide on June 24 in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, killed at least 10 people, with more than 90 people still missing as of press time. The landslide, estimated to be more than 363 million cubic feet in size, was caused by heavy rains. It destroyed more than 40 homes in a small mountain village in Maoxian county and also blocked a river. According to locals, the area is prone to landslides but not usually ones of this size. 

Chinese officials believe that mountains in the area may be less stable and more prone to landslides since a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck a neighboring county in 2008. That earthquake also caused landslides in Maoxian, killing 37 people there.