NANCHANG — A deadly mudslide in eastern China’s Jiangxi province has killed at least three people and left nine others missing, after days of torrential rainfall associated with Typhoon Saudel triggered dangerous landslides across the region.

The mudslide struck Mingkeng Village in Suichuan County, Ji’an City, damaging around a dozen houses and burying parts of the village. Rescue teams have been working through unstable terrain and debris in an effort to locate people still unaccounted for.

The latest casualty figures reported by Chinese state media and the Associated Press put the death toll from the main mudslide at three, with nine people still missing.

Rescue Operation Expands

Hundreds of rescuers have been deployed to the disaster zone, using heavy machinery and specialized search equipment to clear earth and rubble.

China Daily reported that 641 search-and-rescue personnel had been deployed, while roads and communications infrastructure damaged by the disaster were being restored.

More than 5,000 people have been moved to safer locations as authorities work to reduce the risk of additional landslides and flooding.

The difficult terrain has complicated the operation. The landslide damaged access roads, forcing rescue personnel and equipment to take alternative routes to reach the affected village.

Authorities have also been providing displaced residents with temporary accommodation, food, water and medical support.

Typhoon Saudel Behind Torrential Rain

The disaster followed several days of heavy rainfall linked to Typhoon Saudel, which made multiple landfalls in eastern China.

According to Chinese official reporting, Saudel first affected Zhejiang before making another landfall in Fujian as a tropical storm. The neighboring provinces experienced substantial rainfall before the storm’s effects spread into Jiangxi.

The prolonged rainfall saturated hillsides and increased the danger of landslides in mountainous areas.

Jiangxi authorities have responded by raising their geological-disaster emergency response level and deploying additional personnel to areas considered vulnerable to further landslides.

Wider Impact Across Jiangxi

The mudslide is part of a broader weather emergency affecting Jiangxi.

Chinese authorities said more than 160,000 residents across the province had been affected by the storm, while emergency teams were deployed to monitor flood and geological hazards.

The country’s disaster-management authorities have also released emergency funds to support rescue and relief operations.

Other parts of China have also reported deaths and damage associated with the severe weather. In neighboring Hunan province, authorities reported two deaths following heavy rainfall, although the precise circumstances were not immediately specified.

Separate Landslide Adds to Death Toll

Officials have also reported another landslide in a different village within Suichuan County.

Xinhua reported that one person died after a landslide struck Yangfen Village, while two people were initially reported missing. That incident is separate from the main Mingkeng Village mudslide.

This distinction is important because some reports now cite four deaths across separate landslide and mudslide incidents in Suichuan County, while reports specifically covering the Mingkeng Village mudslide put its toll at three dead and nine missing.

Authorities Warn of Further Risk

Emergency teams remain focused on finding survivors while monitoring slopes and waterways for additional hazards.

With saturated ground conditions persisting, authorities are taking precautions against secondary landslides and flooding. Residents in vulnerable locations have been moved away from areas considered dangerous.

The disaster highlights the continuing risks faced by mountainous communities during China’s typhoon and heavy-rain season.

For families waiting for information about missing relatives, the immediate priority remains the search operation. Rescue workers are continuing to clear debris and examine damaged structures as authorities attempt to determine the full human impact of the storm.