Relief efforts underway after landslide in southwest China's Sichuan leaves 29 missing

Relief efforts are in full swing following a landslide that buried ten residential houses and one production facility, leaving 29 people missing in Junlian County of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday, according to local authorities.

The landslide occurred at 11:50 in Jinping Village of the county, which is in Yibin City of the province.

Speaking at a press conference early Sunday, Xue Qing, executive vice mayor of Yibin, provided an update on disaster response, rescue operations and the evacuation of affected individuals.

"As of 24:00 on Feb 8, the landslide had buried ten residential houses and one production facility. Two injured individuals were successfully rescued -- one with critical injuries and the other with minor injuries. Both are currently being treated at the Junlian County People's Hospital, neither in life-threatening condition. Results of preliminary investigations indicate that 29 people remain missing, though the final number is still being verified," Xue said. "More than 200 people at risk have been relocated, with 155 of them evacuated to the Junlian County Second Middle School for temporary sheltering. Emergency meal stations have been set up, and 30 emergency generators, 100 tents, 400 disaster relief beds and 1,100 blankets have been provided to meet the basic needs of the evacuees, including food, shelter and heating. The remaining individuals have been safely accommodated with their relatives or friends," he said.

According to local authorities' preliminary assessment, the landslide was triggered by recent continuous rainfall and unstable geological conditions in the area. It evolved into a debris flow, resulting in a debris accumulation area approximately 1.2 kilometers long. The landslide is about 10 to 20 meters thick, 100 meters wide, and has accumulated more than 100,000 cubic meters of mud and rocks so far. It remains active.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, ordered all-out search and rescue efforts to minimize casualties after the landslide.

Xi urged efforts to properly handle the aftermath. He stressed strengthening monitoring and early warning, ensuring the rescue work is carried out scientifically, and guarding against possible occurrence of secondary disasters.

Relief efforts underway after landslide in southwest China's Sichuan leaves 29 missing

Relief efforts underway after landslide in southwest China's Sichuan leaves 29 missing

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) reviewed a record number of new drug registration applications in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent, with antineoplastic drugs accounting for the largest share, according to the administration.

In 2024, the NMPA evaluated a total of 18,259 drug registration applications, a figure that reflects the vitality of China's innovation in drug research and development.

"The record number of reviewed drug applications is a clear sign of China's rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry. The approval of high-quality new drugs not only gives Chinese patients more and better treatment options, but also shows China's increasing role in the global pharmaceutical market, offering more Chinese solutions to patients around the world," said Yuan Lijia, a staff member at the Center for Drug Evaluation under the NMPA.

Notably, in 2024, applications for clinical trial and market approval of new anti-tumor drugs ranked first among all chemical drugs and biologics, accounting for even half of the total.

"In 2024, anti-tumor drugs made up the largest share of approved clinical trial applications, with over 41 percent being chemical drugs and more than 55 percent being biologics. Throughout the year, anti-tumor drugs also led in the number of innovative drugs approved, with both chemical drugs and biologics surpassing 36 percent," said Geng Ying, an official with the center.

In 2024, China approved the market entry of 48 innovative drugs and 65 innovative medical devices. Its number of drugs in development ranked second globally, and several domestically developed drugs gained approval for global markets.

China's new drug registration applications hit record high in 2024