The landslide occurred at around 9:08 a.m. in Pengshui County on the outer edge of the Chongqing municipality, when massive amounts of rocks and soil washed downslope, burying more than 10 residential buildings, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Ten people were rescued from the debris, including two who were seriously injured, Pengshui County Mayor Ren Xujiang said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping asked authorities to determine the cause of the disaster, state media said.
The landslide contained about 18,000 cubic meters (636,000 cubic feet) of rocks and debris, and the largest single rock was around 3,000 cubic meters (106,000 cubic feet), said Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County, at a news conference.
Wang also warned of persistent risk of further collapse under extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall or prolonged periods of clear and hot weather, based on experts’ field inspections that found scattered unstable rock masses remain at the top and along the sides of the steep cliff.
Water, electricity and gas supplies were cut off within a 1-kilometer (0.6-mile) radius of the landslide to prevent further disruptions. Over 800 rescuers worked on site, a local government statement said.
Xinhua said drones were used to conduct surveys of the landslide sites.
Residents said local officials and communities organized an evacuation after small rocks fell and unusual sounds were heard from the hills. The landslide happened during the evacuation, local newspaper Chongqing Daily reported.
MNA
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