China landslide death toll rises to 11 as 50 remain missing

The death toll from a landslide in southwestern China has risen to 11, with 50 people still missing, authorities said.

The landslide happened last Friday in Pengshui County in Chongqing. It swept away several residential buildings at the foot of a mountain and along a riverbank. State media footage showed a large mass of rocks and earth collapsed into a residential and commercial street.

Hundreds of rescue workers have been sent to the site. Pengshui authorities said late Thursday that multiple rounds of life detection and search operations had found no signs of life.

Authorities said rescue work was very difficult because of the large amount of debris, the size and number of fallen boulders, the limited space at the site and poor slope stability. They said specialist teams were continuing to search for remains around the clock.

Ten people were injured. Authorities had earlier reported eight deaths and 34 missing people.

The disaster occurred less than two weeks after another landslide in northwestern Gansu province buried 33 people and left 21 dead.