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  • Category: News

On September 5, 2026, a devastating mudslide struck Suichuan County in Ji'an City, east China's Jiangxi Province, triggered by days of torrential rain from Typhoon Saudel. The disaster has resulted in multiple casualties and extensive property damage.

Incident Details

The mudslide occurred at around 4:00 a.m. in the Shixia Group of Mingkeng Village, Gaoping Town, Suichuan County. The disaster destroyed 12 houses, of which 8 were completely demolished and 4 suffered general damage.

Casualties

As of September 6, the mudslide and landslide disaster in Mingkeng Village had caused 3 fatalities, with 9 people still missing. Earlier reports on September 5 had confirmed 1 death and 11 missing, but rescue teams later located additional victims. Three people were rescued, two of whom were in stable condition.

Rescue and Emergency Response

Multiple government departments have been mobilized for the rescue effort. Key responses include:

  • Emergency Response Levels: The Jiangxi Provincial Committee for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief activated a Level-III provincial emergency response. The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV national emergency response and dispatched a work team with equipment, including slope radar, to assist with rescue operations. The Ministry of Natural Resources raised its geological disaster response for Jiangxi from Level IV to III.
  • Rescue Personnel: Local fire and rescue authorities dispatched 41 vehicles and 224 personnel to the site, with communications and reconnaissance drones deployed for rescue operations. Dozens of rescuers trekked into the village to carry out search operations.
  • Additional Forces: The China Anneng Group Second Engineering Bureau and the Blue Sky Rescue Team were also deployed, with China Anneng mobilizing 80 rescue personnel and 45 pieces of equipment for road clearance, landslide removal, and search operations.
  • Evacuations: A total of 39 stranded residents have been safely relocated.

Infrastructure Damage

Access roads from Suichuan County to the village remained disrupted by mudslides, and communication networks were still being repaired. By September 6, some roads had been partially restored, but access to the core disaster area remained blocked. Power and communication had been initially restored. The China Anneng team was working to clear minor slope collapses while reopening access routes and establishing water rescue routes using pontoon bridges and boats.

Cause

The disaster was caused by continuous heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Saudel, which had affected approximately 161,500 residents in the province. The Ministry of Emergency Management called for full efforts in searching for trapped individuals, verifying casualty and missing person numbers, deploying communication and engineering rescue teams, strengthening hydrological and geological disaster monitoring and early warning, and strictly preventing secondary disasters.