Kangding Mountain Highway: Sudden Rockfall Collapse Demolishes Passing Minibus and Causes Fatalities

Kangding, China—Tons of jagged rock broke free from a saturated mountain cliffside, crashing directly onto a passenger minibus traveling along a winding Sichuan highway. The sudden avalanche of stone flattened the vehicle instantly, trapping occupants beneath massive boulders blocking both lanes of traffic.

Passing motorists stopped their cars and attempted to move smaller debris by hand while waiting for professional rescue units to arrive. Mountain rescue teams deployed specialized hydraulic cutting tools and earth-moving machinery to reach the crushed wreckage.

Traffic police and emergency medical technicians confirmed that three passengers succumbed to severe crush injuries at the scene. Rescue personnel transported surviving travelers suffering from shock and minor injuries to a county hospital for medical evaluation.

"Heavy rainfall over the past week destabilized the upper slopes, making this section of the mountain pass extremely dangerous for transit," a local transportation bureau official noted near the clearance site.

Excavators began clearing tons of fractured granite from the asphalt while highway police rerouted regional traffic through alternative mountain passes. Engineers initiated drone surveys along the cliff face to evaluate the risk of subsequent slope collapses.

Local tourism bureaus temporarily suspended guided tour vehicle operations along vulnerable mountain corridors following the accident. Maintenance crews installed temporary warning signs and concrete barriers to deter motorists from approaching the unstable zone.

Geological survey teams established observation points above the highway to monitor ongoing ground shifts. Authorities confirmed that road reopening schedules depend entirely on favorable weather and subsequent slope stabilization work.

Families of the victims arrived at the local administrative center escorted by civil affairs officials to coordinate transport arrangements. Transport authorities pledged a comprehensive review of rockfall protection netting across all regional mountain highways.