At least eight people were killed and 34 others remained missing after heavy rainfall triggered a mountain collapse in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Friday, according to state media.
The collapse occurred along the Wujiang River, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Rescue officials said 10 people had been rescued, while search and rescue operations remained underway.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-II national emergency response after the collapse caused several houses to cave in.
Nearly 400 rescue personnel, supported by heavy machinery from multiple agencies, were deployed to the disaster site.
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly allocated 50 million yuan (about $7.36 million) in central government disaster relief funds to support emergency response efforts.
President Xi Jinping called for scientific and well-coordinated search and rescue operations, stressing the need to prevent secondary disasters, ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and effectively manage the aftermath.
“Efforts should also be made to identify the cause of the disaster, draw lessons from it, and thoroughly screen for and eliminate geological disaster risks,” Xi said.