A landslide in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing killed at least eight people and left about 34 missing on Friday.
According to Reuters, an emergency alert was issued after a community worker in Pengshui County spotted falling rocks at around 8:00 a.m.
Authorities began evacuating residents, but the landslide struck during the evacuation at approximately 9:08 a.m. More than 1,000 people have since been evacuated from the affected area. Ten people were injured, including two who were reported to be in critical condition.
Dashcam footage capturing the moment the hillside collapsed has been widely shared online, while authorities continue to investigate the cause of the disaster.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued an urgent directive calling for "all-out" search and rescue operations. The disaster also prompted Xi to urge authorities to conduct operations scientifically and prevent any secondary catastrophes.
China's Ministry of Emergency Management said it had activated a Level II emergency response and deployed a 100-member rescue team to the scene. An additional 206 personnel and 49 vehicles from China's fire and rescue service were also sent to support search and rescue operations.
Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County, said the landslide involved an estimated 18,000 cubic metres of rock and debris. The largest individual rock displaced by the collapse measured about 3,000 cubic metres.
Rescue efforts were hampered by persistent rainfall that affected Pengshui County from Friday night into Saturday morning. As weather conditions improved, emergency teams resumed inspections of buildings impacted by the landslide and intensified search operations.
More updates to follow.
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