Landslide hits south-west China:Over 1,100 people evacuated, hillside buries homes; rescue operation underway

A landslide struck Pengshui County in Chongqing, south-western China, on Friday, burying residential buildings, forcing more than 1,100 people to evacuate and trapping an unknown number of people, according to state media. State broadcaster CCTV reported that at least 10 people have been rescued from the debris, while search and rescue operations are continuing. The landslide occurred at around 9:08 am local time, sending a huge volume of rocks and soil down the mountainside and burying more than 10 residential buildings. Images broadcast by CCTV showed part of the hillside collapsing onto a residential area. Several buildings stood close to the collapse site as rescue teams searched through the debris. According to CCTV, rescue operations have been made more difficult by unstable ground and the continuing risk of another landslide. Photographs from the scene showed massive slabs of rock sliding past buildings into a waterway below. Two damaged buildings, estimated to be around five and 15 storeys high, remained standing despite the impact.