China landslide kills 8, leaves 34 missing as rescue efforts continue | VIDEO
Beijing: A landslide in southwest China killed at least eight people and left 34 missing on Friday, local authorities said, with Chinese President Xi Jinping urging comprehensive inspections as rescue efforts were ongoing.
The landslide happened around 9:10 am local time (0110 GMT) in Chongqing's Pengshui County, with more than 800 rescuers deployed to the site, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The rain-triggered landslide struck southwestern China's Chongqing municipality on Friday, burying residential buildings, trapping people under debris and forcing the evacuation of more than 1,100 residents, according to state media.
The landslide occurred at around 9.08 am local time in Pengshui County, when a large volume of rocks and soil swept down a mountainside, engulfing more than 10 residential buildings.
Television footage showed part of the hillside collapsing into a residential area, with rescue teams searching through the rubble amid unstable ground conditions. Authorities said the operation was being hampered by the risk of further landslides.
Images circulating on social media showed rescuers in orange uniforms using excavators to clear debris, while one survivor was pulled from the wreckage by emergency personnel.
Large slabs of rock also slid into a nearby waterway, while two damaged buildings, estimated to be around five and 15 storeys high, remained standing close to the collapse site.
The landslide occurred near a section of the Wujiang River, which runs through the karst mountain region dotted with small towns and terraced landscapes.
Authorities have dispatched more than 8,000 emergency relief items to the affected area, including tents, folding beds and family emergency kits, to support displaced residents.
Several electricity poles were buried in the landslide, disrupting power supply. Officials also suspended water, electricity and gas services within a one-kilometre radius of the site as a precaution against further hazards.
Pengshui County lies in the southeastern part of Chongqing municipality and borders China's Hubei and Guizhou provinces. Authorities have not yet released details on the number of people still missing or trapped.
(AP)