MAOXIAN COUNTY, CHINA — More than 90 people are still missing following a devastating landslide over the weekend.
On the morning of June 24, heavy rains sent rocks tumbling down on villagers in Maoxian County. The Chinese government has deployed roughly 3,000 workers to locate the injured, as well as the deceased. Dogs were a big part of the rescue efforts, with some sent by wire across raging rivers, while others were carried by fire crews trekking up boulders to sniff out survivors.
One dog in particular was found sitting atop a pile of rubble in Xinmo village, possibly waiting for his owners to return. According to Shanghaiist, as emergency crews came across the canine, they could be heard asking “Anyone here? Little dog, where is your owner?”
While rescue workers continue to search to find the dog’s owner and the others trapped, hopes fade with each passing minute. Sichuan province is a known earthquake-zone, an 8.0 magnitude tremor in 2008 having resulted in close to 70,000 deaths.