The 6 August 2025 fatal Dayuan landslide in Guangzhou, China
On 6 August 2025, the Dayuan landslide in Guangzhou, China killed 7 people. It was triggered by rainfall onto an area affected by a wildfire. In recent decades, China has built substantial capacity for investigating landslides. One result of this is that most significant landslides there are now analysed with the results published. This is […]
On 6 August 2025, a devastating landslide in Guangzhou, China claimed the lives of seven individuals. The catastrophic event was triggered by heavy rainfall that fell on an area previously affected by a wildfire. In recent years, China has made significant strides in landslide investigation, with most major incidents now analyzed and published. The 6 August 2025 Dayuan landslide in Guangzhou serves as a stark example of this trend, with its findings detailed in a recent study by Che et al. (2026) in the journal Landslides.
The landslide, which had a volume of approximately 15,000 cubic meters, traveled about 80 meters before impacting eleven houses at the bottom of the slope. Mapping the precise location of the landslide presents challenges due to inconsistencies in China's geographical data. However, the Google Earth image provided by Che et al. (2026) offers a clear visualization of the site.
The landslide's exceptionally high mobility was a key factor in its deadly outcome. Che et al. (2026) suggest that a wildfire, which occurred in January 2025, a few months prior to the landslide, may have played a significant role. The wildfire left behind an ash layer that initially hindered water infiltration, but as it eroded, it exposed highly permeable soil.
When the intense rainfall arrived, the topography funneled water into this area of the slope, leading to elevated pore water pressures that ultimately triggered the landslide.
While the exact reasons behind the landslide's unusual mobility remain unclear, the possibility of static liquefaction has been considered. The rise in wildfire occurrences worldwide, particularly in regions such as California where the link between fires and landslides is well-documented, underscores the growing concern. This emerging trend of small wildfires potentially leading to fatal landslides in Asia is of great interest, especially in light of the unpredictable weather patterns associated with the peak of the 2026-27 El Nino event.
Written by urgent.news from Eos's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
