BEIJING, July 17 — An unknown number of people were buried after a landslide struck a county in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing today, causing multiple residential buildings downhill to collapse, according to state media.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that preliminary verification indicated a Pengshui county community worker spotted scattered rocks falling around 8am local time (0000 GMT) and issued an emergency warning.
Authorities ordered an evacuation of more than 60 residents, but the landslide occurred during the evacuation at 9.08am, burying some people.
The exact number of those trapped was still being confirmed.
The Xinhua news agency reported that nine people had been pulled from the rubble, with none in life-threatening condition.
It was not immediately clear what caused the landslide.
Aerial CCTV footage showed rocks and debris falling onto a cluster of riverside residential buildings, while people could be seen fleeing as a thick plume of dust billowed behind them.
A dashcam video posted on X (formerly Twitter), verified by Reuters, showed a section of hillside collapsing onto homes and businesses below, sending debris across the road and forcing passing cars and a motorcycle to stop.
In a statement, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said that it activated a level-two emergency response and dispatched a 100-member rescue team to the scene.
Some 206 personnel and 49 vehicles from China's fire and rescue force were sent to the site to assist in rescue efforts.
