No fewer than 40 people have been buried in a landslide in the south-western Chinese Province of Yunnan and eight bodies were recovered by rescue volunteers.
Authorities believed that 47 people from 18 households were buried in the village of Liangshui, where a few thousand people live.
The state media reported on Monday, when the landslide struck at 5.51 a.m on Monday (2151 GMT Sunday).
More than 200 people were evacuated from the area, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out rescue operation in response to the landslide.
He also called for early warning systems to be strengthened in order to prevent further disasters.
State television showed images of rescue workers searching for people among the rubble.
According to reports, the disaster control team arrived with dozens of vehicles and around 300 rescue workers.
On Monday, the temperature at the scene of the accident was around freezing and it had snowed the night before.
Light snow was anticipated for the affected region on Tuesday.
The buried houses were all built on a steep slope.
An official from the Institute for Disaster Prevention said that there was little chance of survival for those trapped.
The official said that the danger of landslides was well known in the area and that further mudslides were possible.
Rain and snowfall, melting ice or changes in the groundwater were cited as conceivable reasons for the landslide. (dpa/NAN)
