As of press time, 1,254 people have been confirmed dead and 490 missing after rainstorm-triggered landslides hit northwest China’s Zhouqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, on August 7.

“Torrential rains began to fall at around 10 p.m., followed by landslides and then the power of the county was cut,” said Diemujiangteng, head of the county. “Water from the Bailong River then flooded the county seat leaving people trapped. The sludge became the biggest problem hampering rescue operations. It’s too thick to walk or drive through.”

Water from the reservoir began to flow downstream after an initial explosion, and a total of 19,000 people living in Shawan and Lianghekou townships were evacuated. According to local authorities, at least 50,000 residents in the county seat and nearby regions were believed to be affected as floods submerged half of the county and many houses were buried by landslides.

On August 15, a national mourning ceremony was held for mudslide victims. Amidst sirens and blaring horns, people across China stood in remembrance of victims of the massive mudslide in the remote northwestern town.

Chinese leaders, students, workers and general public paused for three minutes of silence at 10 a.m., a week after the devastating mudslide. Zhouqu is braced for the possibility of more rain, and thousands of troops used large excavators to remove the silt and debris blocking the county roads. Life gradually recovered as the relief operation continued.

The county education department said on August 14 that primary and middle schools in Zhouqu would postpone the autumn semester until August 25, 10 days later than scheduled. This was because hundreds of homes and one primary school were buried and more schools damaged or flooded. Many classrooms were being used as temporary shelters.

By noon of August 15, power had returned to 8,375 homes, 76 percent of all homes affected by the blackout. Vegetables were on sale the same day for the first time since the disaster. Local authorities ordered 8,400 kilogram of produce from neighboring Longnan City to be sold at the same or lower prices than prior to the disaster.

However, new floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains had also brought misery to Longnan and neighboring Sichuan Province. In Longnan, at least 34 people are dead and 63 missing, reported Huang Zeyuan, deputy Party chief of Longnan, at a news conference. “The situation is grim as rainstorms will likely trigger further geological disasters, such as landslides. We are still in dire need of relief supplies,” he said.