At least eight people died and dozens remain buried under rubble after a monstrous landslide hit China's Yunnan province on Monday.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), at least 47 people from 18 households were missing. Meanwhile, eight of the missing people were found dead on Monday afternoon, according to Zhaotong Dailya Chinese media outlet.
As rescue operations continued amid snow and freezing temperatures, the National Health Commission said two more people were hospitalized with head and body injuries.
The landslide hit two villages in the southwestern city of Zhaotong at around 5:51 a.m. (2151 GMT), covering houses with brown mountain soil at the foot of a hill. closed TV circuit reported.
“The mountain just collapsed, dozens of people were buried,” said a man surnamed Gu, who witnessed the landslide, adding that four of his relatives were buried under the rubble.
“Everyone was sleeping at home,” he said.
Firefighters were climbing through the rubble looking for survivors in the light snow, CCTV reported. It was unclear what had caused the landslide, Reuters reported.
China sent nearly 1,000 rescue workers to the site, along with nearly 200 rescue vehicles, according to the report.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing led a task force that arrived at the scene to guide the rescue efforts.
