By TIAN Heqi, ZHANG Xu

When an earthquake struck Qinghai Province last week, a sand boil swept away numerous houses, taking the occupants along with them.

Explaining the phenomenon, HAN Yanyan, a senior engineer at the China Earthquake Networks Center, said post-earthquake sand boils are common. 

"Pressure and vibrations can cause liquefaction of wet subterranean sand, forcing it through channels to erupt on the surface, creating what we witness as a sand boil,” he said. These are often mistaken for mudslides.

Villager YANG Song recalled: "It was dark outside, so we couldn't see the mudslide clearly, but the noise was terrifying."

Yang and his wife fled their home before the "mudslide" engulfed their village. The two-story house and shop are now buried, although the shop sign remains visible. 

Qinghai Fire Brigade sent more than 500 personnel and 100 vehicles, relocating 5,600 people. The rescue efforts are ongoing.

Surrounded by sludge, hindering large machinery, the rescue relied on manual labor. CCTV News reported that many people were trapped in houses along the riverbanks. Rescue teams, with dogs, and life detection instruments have located some missing people, with ongoing concentrated efforts at five locations.

Qinghai has already delivered financial aid to those affected.

The "14th Five-Year Plan" of the National Disaster Reduction and Relief Committee focuses on enhancing disaster-related laws, revising prevention plans, and developing specifications for a comprehensive response. By November 14, 2023, Yuan Yi, Deputy Director of the Emergency Management Department, noted active efforts to include a comprehensive law on natural disaster prevention in the legislative agenda, expediting this process.