Massive Inner Mongolian Landslide Halts Search and Rescue Efforts
A massive landslide near the Inner Mongolian mining site on Wednesday evening has brought search and rescue operations to a halt, with efforts still blocked as of Thursday morning.[0] The landslide was caused by increased coal production in the area, as the Chinese government has been pushing for more output in an effort to boost GDP and stockpile fuel reserves.
One hospitalized miner told CCTV on Thursday that he had started work at 1:15 in the afternoon when he realized that rocks were falling from the mountain.[1] He said, “I saw that the situation was getting more and more serious, and an evacuation was organized, but it was too late, the mountain just collapsed.”[1]
Chinese leader Xi Jinping had urged for “every possible effort” to be made to rescue the missing persons and treat the injured.[1] State media reported in the afternoon that operations were “ongoing.” The rescue mission is being led by Wei Zhiguo, and a second landslide later in the day has hampered some search efforts.[0]
0. “Scores missing after large mine collapse in China” BBC, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-64730607
1. “Death toll rises in China mine collapse as rescue efforts continue” erienewsnow.com, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/48430640/death-toll-rises-in-china-mine-collapse-as-rescue-efforts-continue
