At least one person has died, and 28 others remain missing after a landslide struck a village in south-western China, according to state media.
The landslide hit Jinping village, Sichuan province, at 11:50 am on Saturday (03:50 GMT). It buried 10 houses and trapped several residents. Rescuers have saved two people so far.
Authorities have set up a command centre at the site, the county’s emergency management bureau confirmed.
Landslide rescue efforts and government response
Hundreds of emergency workers are searching for survivors. Officials have evacuated around 200 residents, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
President Xi Jinping has ordered a full-scale rescue operation. State media images show mud and rock cascading down a steep mountainside, cutting through a small village. Xi urged authorities to do everything possible to find the missing, minimise casualties, and manage the aftermath.
Premier Li Qiang has called for an investigation into possible geological hazards nearby. Local media report that villagers had seen large rocks rolling down the mountain frequently over the past six months. Li also instructed officials to evacuate at-risk residents to prevent further disasters.
The central government has allocated 50 million yuan (£5.5m; $6.9m) for infrastructure repairs and public services.
Landslides are common in China’s mountainous south-west. In January 2024, a landslide in Yunnan province killed dozens when a cliff collapsed onto a village. Eleven years earlier, another landslide in the same region claimed at least 18 lives.
