Debris Flow in Zhenhe

On Thursday, October 4, 2012, a hillside in Zhenhe collapsed, burying Tiantou Elementary School and 18 students in a landslide. Sources refer to the event as a landslide, but according to our notes, a landslide simply describes all rapid forms of mass wasting. When examining the media, the event sounds and looks to be categorized as a debris flow. Debris flows have high viscosities and contain a lot of mud as well as rock debris, unlike mudflows that have less debris with some rock content. Being that the hillside collapsed, gravity and a steep slope clearly influenced the debris flow to occur.

Prior to the debris flow, there was seismic activity as well as a large amount of rain flow. On September 8^th, a series of tremors hit the region, killing dozens of individuals. Other earthquakes throughout September left the land prone to mishaps, and in addition to the sizeable amount of rain, mass wasting occurred and created a debris flow. The debris flow is estimated to have killed 19 people, 18 of which are children. The landslide also affected people in the area by burying three houses and damming a nearby river. The river’s water pooled around the buried area to approximately 45 feet across and 21 feet deep. The pooled area hindered rescue efforts and forced some 800 people from their homes in Yiliang County.

BBC video of the debris flow:

BBC NEWS. 5 October 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-19839932

Examiner. 7 October 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.examiner.com/article/chinese-landslide-results-deaths-of-18-students