On July 17, a mountain collapse occurred in Hanjia Street, Pengshui County, Chongqing, resulting in the tragic deaths of 8 individuals and 34 others missing, according to official reports. Local residents interviewed revealed that over ten buildings were buried, suggesting that the actual number of trapped individuals could surpass the official figures. Following the incident, a massive explosion was heard on-site, sparking speculation from the public. Residents disclosed that the cause of the accident was the mountain’s pressure, triggering an explosion at a fireworks warehouse.
Residents in Pengshui County witnessed a mountain collapse near Wujiang Third Bridge at 9:08 a.m., causing multiple residential buildings to collapse and the main city road to be buried, trapping numerous people underneath.
One interviewed resident, Chen Jianhua (pseudonym), personally witnessed the entire mountain collapse process. He described seeing cracks forming on the mountain, followed by a rapid landslide and subsequent collapsing of the buildings. The entire sequence was brief, leaving almost no time for residents to escape.
“It happened so suddenly; there was no time to run. It all came down in just a minute or two,” Chen shared. Fortunately, he lived on the opposite slope and was not affected.
According to a report by Southern Metropolis Daily, there was a fireworks and firecracker specialty store at the site of the incident. The store’s manager stated that the shop had been in operation for over six years and lamented that all their buildings were now buried.
On the morning of the incident, local resident Mr. Hu heard what sounded like an explosion near Gallery Road while on his way to work. He witnessed the mountain collapse, with large rocks falling for about one to two minutes until everything disappeared from sight.
Both residents expressed concerns that the actual number of impacted individuals could be much higher than officially reported. Chen Jianhua mentioned that a whole area of residential buildings collapsed, with around 13 buildings housing both evacuated and trapped residents.
The collapsed buildings, mostly privately constructed residences, were about five to six stories high and primarily rented out. Besides the residents, Chen noted that the incident occurred in the morning, with many pedestrians and vehicles likely passing by, potentially numbering in the hundreds, a figure the authorities might not disclose.
Wei Jianzhong added, “Over a dozen buildings collapsed, spanning tens of meters, each building occupied, so there should be hundreds of people buried inside.”
Regarding the rescue efforts, Chen shared that ongoing search and rescue operations were underway, but the specific casualties and missing persons required further verification from the authorities. However, heavy rainfall in Pengshui since the incident, with over 192 millimeters in the past 24 hours (at Longtang Station), has posed challenges to the rescue operation.
Following the disaster, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang issued directives, with Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing visiting the scene to oversee the rescue efforts. The attention from Beijing highlights the severity of the disaster.
In response to the spread of misinformation online, the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau, on July 18, publicized three typical cases under the pretext of combating “internet rumors” and urged netizens to refrain from creating, believing, or spreading false information.
According to the police announcement, two internet users in Pengshui County spread false information online, alleging that the mountain collapse was caused by an explosion at a fireworks warehouse. The police criticized and educated the individuals, instructing them to delete the misleading information.
Local resident Chen Jianhua clarified that the explosion was not the cause of the landslide but occurred as a result of the collapsed buildings pressuring a local fireworks storeroom. He explained, “The collapsed buildings pressed onto the fireworks warehouse, causing the explosion sound, which did not trigger the landslip. There’s a fireworks and firecracker warehouse here, supplying the entire county, and the explosion occurred due to the mountain pressure.”
Another local resident, Wei Jianzhong, mentioned that next to the landslide area was an explosives factory. He stated, “Approximately 18,000 cubic meters of the hillside collapsed, with five to six thousand cubic meters of rocks on top, and adjacent to it was an explosive factory, which all detonated.”
The tragic incident in Pengshui on July 17, near Wujiang Third Bridge in Chongqing, led to the collapse of the mountainside. News footage showed a mid-size bus carrying 18 individuals buried under the landslide and debris.
The disaster has prompted a swift response from the Chinese government, with top leaders issuing instructions and sending officials to coordinate rescue efforts. The authorities’ stringent measures against misinformation on social media reflect their commitment to managing the disaster effectively.