Rescue operations ongoing after deadly landslides hit rural Guizhou county

Rescue operations are ongoing after two separate landslides struck a rural county in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Thursday, leaving at least four dead as the search for 17 other missing residents continues.

The disasters hit two remote townships in Guizhou's Dafang County on Thursday morning, with the first incident occurring at around 03:00 in Changshi town and the second striking the town of Guowa at about 09:00.

Authorities said later on Thursday evening that the bodies of two victims had been recovered from Changshi, while another two fatalities were confirmed in Guowa, where the search for the 17 remaining victims is now continuing amid challenging conditions.

The landslide in Guowa occurred when massive volumes of earth and rock cascaded down from a ridgeline near an adjacent mountain top, violently descending into the valley below.

The geological instability of the area has further complicated rescue efforts, with the main road leading to the town being buried by the landslide, blocking access for large rescue equipment.

Rescue teams, including firefighters and personnel from the China Anneng Construction Group Corporation, have reached the site on foot to carry out search and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, a large drone has also been deployed to aerially transport essential equipment such as life detectors, 5G transmission devices, and other rescue materials to the disaster zone.

Rescuers are racing against time to locate and reach those who are thought to be trapped in the households engulfed by the huge mounds of rubble, which extends for hundreds of meters.

"The landslide mass spans an elevation difference of about 390 meters from the top to bottom, stretching about 900 meters in length, and reaches a width of up to 240 meters at its widest point," said Lu Jun, chief engineer at the institute of surveying and mapping under the Guizhou provincial government's natural resources department.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has activated emergency response measures for the geological disasters and has dispatched a working team to the site to guide rescue operations.

The ministry also urged swift efforts to verify the situation, carry out the vital search and rescue work, and also take steps to guard against the occurrence of any secondary disasters.

Rescue operations ongoing after deadly landslides hit rural Guizhou county

Rescue operations ongoing after deadly landslides hit rural Guizhou county

Rescue operations ongoing after deadly landslides hit rural Guizhou county

Rescue operations ongoing after deadly landslides hit rural Guizhou county

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela