What Destroyed Zhouqu

At 11:50pm, 7th, August, 2010, after a storm, nearly 2 million m3 mud and rocks rushed down, destroying almost half of Zhouqu county in Gansu. At least 1444 people have been buried under the flow. This figure only includes the registered residence, leaving thousands of migrant workers out of the statistics. The county has been under the risk of destruction from mudslide for 2000 years, and the danger is exacerbated by deforestation. Urbanization and illegal deals of land and buildings enlarged residential areas to risky places. The improper pre-warning system and governance also led to this huge disaster.