CHONGQING, China — A landslide buried multiple residential buildings in southwest China's Chongqing municipality on Friday, trapping an undetermined number of people as emergency crews launched a large-scale search and rescue operation, according to Chinese state media and local authorities.
The landslide struck at about 9:08 a.m. local time in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, causing a section of hillside along the Wujiang River to collapse onto homes below, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Authorities did not immediately release the number of people trapped or any confirmed fatalities.
Local emergency management officials said community workers noticed scattered rockfalls about an hour before the main collapse and issued warnings to residents. More than 60 people were evacuated from the area before the landslide occurred, according to official reports. However, some individuals were caught during the evacuation, and the total number of those affected was still being verified.
State media reported that at least nine people had been rescued by early afternoon. Local authorities said none of those rescued had suffered life-threatening injuries, while search operations continued for others believed to be buried beneath rock and soil.
Emergency response teams, firefighters, engineers and geological specialists were deployed to the scene with heavy equipment and search devices. China's Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level II national emergency response for geological disasters to support rescue efforts.
Images broadcast by CCTV showed a large section of mountainside that had collapsed into a residential area, with rescue personnel searching through debris and damaged buildings. Officials said the cause of the landslide had not yet been determined, and an investigation was underway.
Chongqing's mountainous terrain is prone to landslides, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. The municipal government had issued geological disaster risk forecasts for parts of the region, warning of elevated hazards in vulnerable areas.
Rescue operations remained ongoing late Friday, with authorities continuing to assess the number of people affected and the extent of the damage. Officials said casualty figures and other details would be released as verification work progressed.
