China: Landslide Buries Buildings, Traps People

An undetermined number of people have been reported trapped under a landslide in southwest China. Rescue efforts are ongoing.

A section of hillside collapsed in China's Pengshui County near the city of Chongqing on Friday morning, burying several residential buildings and trapping an undetermined number of people, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Images from the broadcaster showed rescue crews combing through massive rocks and debris at the site, located on a steep slope next to the Wujiang River. 

What Do We Know about the Landslide in China?

At least 10 people have been rescued uninjured so far from the debris, according to CCTV. Search and rescue operations were ongoing. 

Some 1,110 residents have been evacuated from the area. 

An emergency warning had been issued before the landslide, after a community worker noticed scattered falling rocks around 8 a.m. local time (0000 UTC). Authorities had ordered more than 60 residents to evacuate, but the landslide struck at 9 am, before the evacuation could be fully completed.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement that 100 rescue workers were deployed to the scene, along with dozens of vehicles.

The landslide was triggered by rain and occurred near a section of the Wujiang River, which cuts through karst mountains with small towns and terraces built along the riverside. 

Pengshui county is located in the southeast part of Chongqing direct-administered municipality, bordering the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.