Latest news with #mudslide
France 24
5 hours ago
- Climate
- France 24
Death toll from northwest China floods rises to 13
Torrents of mud and water began hitting mountainous areas of Gansu province on Thursday, with the death toll listed as 10 on Friday as rescuers searched for at least 33 missing people. Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer, when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heat. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the "utmost effort" in rescuing missing people, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. The death toll stood at 13, with the number of missing now listed as 30, state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday. Hundreds of people had been rescued and thousands more evacuated, Xinhua added. It quoted a rescue official describing the situation as "complex" due to the mud and rough roads, with telephone lines and electricity also cut. State media on Friday put the number of people trapped in the mountainous Xinglong area at 4,000, with heavy rain pushing garbage into roads. Beijing's top economic planner has allocated 100 million yuan ($14 million) towards disaster relief in Gansu. Authorities also announced a yellow alert on Saturday for torrential rains and activated a flood response plan in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Chongqing, CCTV said. China's south has also experienced torrential downpours this week, with tens of thousands of people evacuated across Guangdong. Heavy rain in Beijing in the north also killed 44 people last month, with the capital's rural suburbs hardest hit and another eight people killed in a landslide in nearby Hebei province. Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up because of fossil fuel emissions.
The Australian
a day ago
- Climate
- The Australian
City of Gold Coast to install terraces to stop iconic mud slides down Kirra, Burleigh Hills
A local council has taken drastic action to stamp out a decades-old pastime which has delighted generations, after ratepayers were stung thousands to repair the damage left behind. The City of Gold Coast council announced it will install multiple sandstone terraces across Kirra and Burleigh Hills to prevent people from creating a 'mudslide' by sliding down the grass area during rain or storms. The damage bill has cost ratepayers thousands to replace the grass destroyed from mudslides, which left many locals disgusted by the mess left behind after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The City of Gold Coast will install sandstone block terraces across Kirra and Burleigh Hills to prevent people from using the area for mudslides. Picture: Gold Coast City Footage of a muddy North Burleigh Hill showed the area strewn with boogie boards and sheets of cardboard from residents that slid through the mud. One resident posted on social media it stunk like a sewer and was disappointed to see all the boards left everywhere. 'I can say all those that slid down it will have diarrhoea for weeks,' she captioned in a video on Instagram. City of Gold Coast councillor Gail O'Neil posted on Facebook that Kirra and North Burleigh Hills were turned into dangerous mudslides during the cyclone. 'Not only did this cause significant damage to the parks, but it also created serious safety concerns,' she said. 'This has been an ongoing issue for years with both hills continually having to be fixed after storms, using rate payers money to bring them back to an acceptable standard each time. 'To help deter this behaviour in future weather events, the City has made the decision to reshape and strengthen the hillsides, making them more resilient and much safer for the community.' The area was littered with boards after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred angering residents. The council will install sandstone block terraces across the hills to prevent people from creating mudslides and to reduce the risk of erosion. The work is expected to start later this month and will be finished by mid-October. But the work has had a mixed reaction from locals who have enjoyed the mudslides during rain events for decades. Some residents believe the money could be better spent labelling the city the 'fun police.' 'Grass grows very quickly. I'm sure Gold Coast council has plenty of rate money to spend on better things,' one person commented. Residents had a mixed reaction about the City's plan with some people commenting there was better things to spend the money on. Picture: ABC News 'Let the kids have a bit of fun. The grass has grown back! Money better spent putting in a second bike track from Kirra to Greenmount,' another person said. 'That's absurd. It's been there for thousands of years and done an all-right job,' a person said. 'Rather tax dollars go to fixing the grass on a hill from some locals having fun than some silly new stadium,' another person commented. City of Gold Coast have been contacted for comment.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
City of Gold Coast installs sandstone terraces to end destruction caused by decades old pastime
A local council has taken drastic action to stamp out a decades-old pastime which has delighted generations, after ratepayers were stung thousands to repair the damage left behind. The City of Gold Coast council announced it will install multiple sandstone terraces across Kirra and Burleigh Hills to prevent people from creating a 'mudslide' by sliding down the grass area during rain or storms. The damage bill has cost ratepayers thousands to replace the grass destroyed from mudslides, which left many locals disgusted by the mess left behind after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Footage of a muddy North Burleigh Hill showed the area strewn with boogie boards and sheets of cardboard from residents that slid through the mud. One resident posted on social media it stunk like a sewer and was disappointed to see all the boards left everywhere. 'I can say all those that slid down it will have diarrhoea for weeks,' she captioned in a video on Instagram. City of Gold Coast councillor Gail O'Neil posted on Facebook that Kirra and North Burleigh Hills were turned into dangerous mudslides during the cyclone. 'Not only did this cause significant damage to the parks, but it also created serious safety concerns,' she said. 'This has been an ongoing issue for years with both hills continually having to be fixed after storms, using rate payers money to bring them back to an acceptable standard each time. 'To help deter this behaviour in future weather events, the City has made the decision to reshape and strengthen the hillsides, making them more resilient and much safer for the community.' The council will install sandstone block terraces across the hills to prevent people from creating mudslides and to reduce the risk of erosion. The work is expected to start later this month and will be finished by mid-October. But the work has had a mixed reaction from locals who have enjoyed the mudslides during rain events for decades. Some residents believe the money could be better spent labelling the city the 'fun police.' 'Grass grows very quickly. I'm sure Gold Coast council has plenty of rate money to spend on better things,' one person commented. 'Let the kids have a bit of fun. The grass has grown back! Money better spent putting in a second bike track from Kirra to Greenmount,' another person said. 'That's absurd. It's been there for thousands of years and done an all-right job,' a person said. 'Rather tax dollars go to fixing the grass on a hill from some locals having fun than some silly new stadium,' another person commented.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
100 people missing after flash flooding in Himalayan village
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Holly Bishop Wednesday 06 August 2025 14:44 BST Village buried in mud as flash flooding kills at least four in northern India Flash flooding and a mudslide in Dharali, Uttarakhand state, northern India, have resulted in four deaths and left at least 100 people missing. The disaster, which occurred on Tuesday, was caused by a 'cloudburst' – intense rainfall over a small area – leading to mud and debris submerging the Himalayan village. Among the missing are at least 10 soldiers stationed at the Harsil base, and many villagers who had gathered at a temple for a festival. The Indian Army has mobilised troops to assess the situation and undertake rescue operations in the affected area. Watch the video in full above. In full
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
About 100 people missing as flash flood tears through town in northern India
A torrent of mud from a flash flood has smashed into a town in India's Himalayan region, tearing down a mountain valley before demolishing buildings and killing at least four people, with about 100 others missing. Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away blocks of flats in the tourist region of Dharali in Uttarakhand state. Several people could be seen running before being engulfed by the dark waves of debris that uprooted buildings. The Indian defence minister, Sanjay Seth, told the Press Trust of India news agency: 'It is a serious situation … We have received information about four deaths and around 100 people missing. We pray for their safety.' The Uttarakhand state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue teams had been deployed 'on a war footing'. A senior local official, Prashant Arya, said four people had been killed, with other officials saying that the number could rise. India's army said 150 troops had reached the town, helping to rescue about 20 people who had survived the wall of freezing sludge. 'A massive mudslide struck Dharali … triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,' the army said. Images released by the army, taken from the site after the main torrent had passed, showed a river of slow-moving mud. A swathe of the town was swamped by deep debris. In places, the mud lapped at the rooftops of houses. 'Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with all available resources being deployed to locate and evacuate any remaining stranded persons,' an army spokesperson, Suneel Bartwal, said. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, expressed his condolences, and said that 'no stone is being left unturned in providing assistance'. Dhami said the flood was caused by a sudden and intense 'cloudburst', calling the destruction 'extremely sad and distressing'. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert warning for the area, saying it had recorded 'extremely heavy' rainfall of about 21cm (8in) in isolated parts of Uttarakhand. Deadly floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say the climate crisis, coupled with urbanisation, is increasing their frequency and severity. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that more intense floods and droughts are a 'distress signal' for what is to come as climate breakdown makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable.
