On Monday at 05:51 local time (21:51 GMT), a landslide occurred in Zhaotong city, trapping 47 people.
With temperatures below freezing, President Xi Jinping has ordered a “all-out” rescue operation in the area.
Two “unresponsive” bodies have reportedly been removed from the debris thus far, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Jimu News was informed by a Liangshui village resident that the landslide occurred while they were asleep.
“It was very loud, and there was also a shake, it felt like a big earthquake,” she stated.
Social media users posted videos of rescuers trudging atop debris heaps while snow-covered mountains provided the scene. Among the crumbling masonry, one can observe various personal possessions.
Although the exact reason for the landslide is unknown, the isolated mountainous area is vulnerable to them because of its location. Additionally frequent are floods.
There are a lot of coal mines in the area.
Another villager told News China that the majority of the people living there were kids and the elderly.
A workgroup headed by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing is at the scene to direct rescue efforts.
In the same county, a landslide in January 2013 claimed the lives of at least 18 people.
