Latest China mudslide kills 2 in persistent harsh weather

BEIJING - A mudslide hit a village in north-west China, killing two people, while two more are missing, state media said on Tuesday, the latest such disaster amid heavy downpours battering several regions in the country.

A

string of landslides, avalanches and rockslides

over the past few weeks has spurred government officials to launch emergency response measures and mobilise local departments to combat such disasters. Pictures posted on social media show firefighters caked in grey mud and surrounded by rushing waters as they rescue trapped people in the village of Zhangzigou in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in Gansu province.

Broadcaster CCTV said seven people were injured in the incident.

State media said a rescue effort by local officials saw 336 people from 76 affected households evacuated to a resettlement site.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has

urged greater efforts to protect citizens

amid the spate of extreme weather.

The China Meteorological Administration said on social media that more heavy rain is expected in the southern part of Gansu over the next few days.

State media said that weather officials renewed an alert on Tuesday against

severe convective weather

over vast stretches of the country as harsh weather – from dangerous heat to hailstorms and torrential rain – pummels parts of China.

Xinhua, the official news agency, said weather officials have warned that thunderstorms, gales and hail are expected to sweep the provinces of Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shanxi and Sichuan from early Tuesday through Wednesday. REUTERS