The landslide struck Jinping village in Sichuan province at 11:50 on Saturday (03:50 GMT) burying 10 houses and trapping several residents. Two people were rescued.

A command centre has been set up at the scene according to a statement by the county’s emergency management bureau.

China’s President Xi Jinping has ordered an “all-out” rescue of those trapped.

Images from state media show a huge collapse of mud and rock from a steep mountainside, cutting through what appears to be a small village.

Hundreds of emergency workers are searching for survivors, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Emergency Management. Around 200 people have been evacuated.

President Xi has ordered authorities to do “everything possible to search and rescue missing people, minimise casualties and properly handle the aftermath”, according to the official Xinhua state news agency.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang additionally asked for an investigation into potential geological hazard risks in nearby areas.

According to local media reports, villagers have said large rocks had been frequently seen rolling down the mountain over the last six months.

Li also said residents who were under threat should be evacuated to prevent another disaster, the AP news agency reports, citing Xinhua.

Fifty million yuan ($6.9m; £5.5m) has been allocated from central government funds to repair infrastructure and public services, AP adds.

The remote, mountainous parts of China’s south-west can be prone to landslides.

In January 2024, a landslide in China’s Yunnan province killed dozens of people when a steep cliff collapsed and destroyed part of a village.

At least 18 people were killed in a separate landslide in the same region 11 years earlier.