At least 47 people have been buried in a landslide on Monday morning in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, according to state media.
President Xi Jinping has urged all-out search and rescue efforts in order to minimise casualties as much as possible.
Rescue efforts are under way in sub-zero temperatures in Zhaotong city. It is unclear yet if anyone has died.
Videos from local media showed rescuers working among collapsed buildings.
In videos circulating on social media, rescuers can also be seen walking on piles of rubble against a backdrop of towering mountains covered with snow, with personal belongs scattered among the collapsed masonry.
The incident took place at 05:51 local time (21:51 GMT). State broadcaster CCTV said that the missing people were from 18 households.
One man has been rescued, local media outlet The Paper reported.
More than 500 people have also been evacuated from the region after the incident, according to People’s Daily.
A local resident from Liangshui village told Jimu News that the landslide happened while they were sleeping. “It was very loud, and there was also a shake, it felt like a big earthquake,” the woman said.
Authorities have not given an explanation for the cause of the landslide. Weather forecasts suggest that the region will see more light snow in the next three days.
Landslides are common in the remote region, which is surrounded by mountain ranges and prone to frequent floods and landslides.
In January 2013, at least 18 people were killed in Zhenxiong, which is located in Zhaotong city, after a landslide.
(BBC NEWS)
