Tsunami of mud, rocks, and 

water.
By M.E.Reza

Never have we seen so many occurrences of landslides/mudslides over a short period of just a
few months (May-August 2010), albeit happening in different locations.  In late May 2010,
heavy rains brought flooding and landslides which killed 53 people in China’s south-western
Guangxi region.   Elsewhere in Jiangxi, landslides derailed trains and caused the temporary
closure of the Shanghai-Kunming railway line.  On 27th July 2010, a landslide  similarly
triggered, flattened part of a village in Sichuan, southern China killing twenty-one people.  Huge
amounts of rocks and mud which slid down Ermanshan Mountain engulfed dozens of houses in
Shuanghe village.  (i)

 Fifty-seven people were killed in a landslide in Dazhai village, Guizhou

In this photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, buildings, vehicles and roads are hit by
mudslides in Zhouqu county, in northwest China's Gansu Province on Sunday Aug. 8, 2010.
(AP / Xinhua, Gong Zhiyong)

 province, south-western China in the latter half of June 2010.  The landslide buried more
than100 people in their homes, trapped numerous others, and cut off the village from access by
rescuers.  In the landslide, at least 30 students were trapped in the building of a local school.  The
disaster happened quickly that residents of the ill-fated village had almost no chance to escape. 
The houses were buried within two minutes by the mudslides.  Even as the rainstorms subsided,
threats of more landslides remained.  The remaining residents were evacuated from the area as
the soil was still unstable and more landslides feared.  At its height, the risk of flooding and
landslides in China forced the evacuation of at least 4.66 million people. 

In mid-July heavy rains across southern and central China caused havoc, triggering landslides
which left dozens of people dead or missing. Landslides occurred in Yunnan, Sichuan and Hunan
provinces.  In one of the worst incidents, 13 people were killed in Xiaohe village in Yunnan
province, after the side of a mountain collapsed burying houses.  (ii)

 In the “deadliest mudslide” at Zhouqu, Gansu province, rescue workers could not use heavy
machinery as mud blocked roads and bridges, leaving rescuers to dig with shovels and their bare
hands.   Thousands of rescue workers had to dredge through thick mud and debris.  Access was
almost impossible with roads blocked by mud several feet thick in places and bridges destroyed. 
Attempts to clear the sludge were severely hampered since there was no way to get in heavy
equipment.   In such hazardous situation, only survivors who had not been buried were found
occasionally. Accumulated debris comprising rocks, cars, and chunks of buildings blocked a
river nearby posing potential threats of further mudslides.  The accumulated debris was only
dislodged after soldiers used explosives to clear the river.  As efforts to remove the blockage and
prevent further mudslides proceeded, about 19,000 people living in two towns below the
blockage point were evacuated.  

Buildings are surrounded by mud in Zhouqu County in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
in Gansu province in this August 8, 2010 video grab. Mudslides engulfed the town in northwest
China on Sunday, killing at least 127 people and leaving nearly 2,000 residents missing as
rescue teams dug out crushed homes and sought to blast away debris clogging a river.
(REUTERS)

In the Zhouqu disaster, mudslides engulfed the town, killing more than 1,200 people and leaving
nearly 2,000 residents missing.  Rescue teams dug out crushed homes and had to blast away the
debris clogged river.  The Zhouqu County in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu
Province, a region dominated by steep and barren hills was hit by flooding and mudslides after a
spate of torrential rains.  Following the heavy downpour, runoff built up behind a landslide on
the Bailong River which courses through the main town in Zhouqu.  The flooding and mudslides
were triggered after the clogged river burst through its levels.  Both the Bailong River and the
town are located in a narrow valley.  At the height of the floods, it covered about half of the
Zhouqu county seat, with a population of about 40,000 residents.  The flood water reached up to
three storeys high on some buildings. Hence when the mudslides struck many single storey
houses were wiped out. (iii)

News reports conveyed pictures of mud and water covering town streets, motor vehicles being
swept downstream and rescuers frantically digging through debris in search of victims. The mud
dumped on the streets was up to two metres deep. The disaster struck at midnight when most of
the victims were in their homes, asleep and unaware of what was happening .

Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2010 shows the landslide-hit Zhouqu County, Gannan Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Gansu Province. The death toll from the massive
mudslide in Zhouqu has risen to 1,156 as of 4 p.m. Friday, with 588 still missing, local
authorities said. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Torrential rains which lasted overnight flooded the Bailong River, which became blocked with
mud and debris, creating a 3-kilometre long lake.  When the lake overflowed the sudden burst
sent mud and rocks gushing into the town, smashing cars and toppling buildings. Part of the town
was submerged under as much as one metre of water. The town’s remote mountainous location
and the amount of mud and water covering the area hindered the emergency response.

The area struck by China’s deadliest mudslides in decades was already known to be vulnerable
to flooding and landslips following heavy tree-felling and rapid hydro-development.   Already
deemed as “a high-occurrence disaster zone for landslides” the Bailong River that rushes through
the valley risks getting swollen and pent up behind a loose dam of landslide debris.  The 576-
kilometre long (358 miles) Bailong River is considered to be in a fragile state, the river and its
surrounding slopes already prey to manmade problems, its battered natural environment in
urgent need to be rejuvenated.  The Bailong River has been over-exploited by rapid hydropower
development.  (iv)

While Zhouqu received the world’s full attention, another mudslide hit the

Rescuers search for victims in the landslide-hit Zhouqu County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous
Prefecture, Gansu Province August 8, 2010 in this photo released by China’s official Xinhua
News Agency. At least 127 people have been confirmed dead, and nearly 2,000 others are still
missing after the mudslides triggered by torrential rains in Zhouqu County, according to the
Ministry of Civil Affairs, Xinhua News Agency reported. (REUTERS)

 south-western Chinese province of Sichuan killing five people and trapped more than 500.  It
was only two years ago (2008) when Sichuan was really hit hard by a massive earthquake in
which at least 80,000 people died. 

Threats of more landslides along the Bailong River remained “relatively large” as more rains
forecasted as of August 13 2010.  On August 12th, an overnight deluge triggered mudslides
which swept away six houses in Xizangba village, blocked a river near Libazi village, and
obstructed a key road used to ferry relief supplies. Another mudslide in nearby Tianshui city
buried seven people.

Looking at the mudslide disaster in Zhouqu in particular, do we see the potential for similar
problems (Heavens Forbid!) in our jurisdiction?   Has past economic activities left a negative
impact on the environment? Have we identified the potential hazard spots where the local
populations are in direct danger of landslides/mudslides threats?
References:-
(i)  BBC News.  27 July 2010. Deadly landslide as China rains continue.  Chris Hogg.

(ii)  Reuters. 14 July 2010. Death toll from China landslides rises

(iii)   The Christian Science Monitor. China mudslides: Rescuers dig with bare hands, shovels for 1,300 missing. Peter Ford.  August 9, 2010.
Beijing

(iv)   Reuters. China officials saw landslide risks before disaster. Tue Aug 10, 2010.  Chris Buckley