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Orange-clad rescuers search for landslide survivors.
CNN –
The death toll from a landslide in southwest China has reached 25 as rescuers continue to comb through mud, snow and debris in search of survivors.
State broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday that 19 people were still missing.
Authorities have mobilized more than 1,000 rescue workers and 45 rescue dogs for the search operation after the landslide that rocked the mountain village of Liangshui in Yunnan province just before dawn on Monday when most residents were sleeping.
According to CCTV, a total of 18 houses were buried and more than 500 people were evacuated.
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Chinese military personnel are searching for survivors in the rubble.
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The landslide can be seen in a screenshot from a social media video dated January 22, 2024.
Drone footage of the disaster site shared by local state media showed a wide, dark slope of mud being thrown onto snow-covered mountain terraces and village rooftops.
Dozens of fire engines and earthmoving equipment were also deployed as part of the rescue efforts, according to CCTV.
Footage broadcast on CCTV showed firefighters in orange jumpsuits climbing through the gray rubble of destroyed houses to search for survivors, against a backdrop of steep, snow-capped mountain ridges.
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At least 47 people were reported missing following the landslide.
As the state news agency Xinhua reported, a man was pulled from the rubble shortly after 11 a.m. local time on Monday.
The area was hit by heavy snow on Sunday evening, and although the snowfall has since eased, temperatures still remained below freezing on Monday, CCTV said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on local officials to quickly step up rescue efforts in a statement released by CCTV.
According to CCTV, Xi also urged officials across China to be on high alert to avoid serious accidents as Chinese New Year celebrations approach.
Yunnan's remote mountains are prone to landslides due to steep slopes and unstable soil.
Much of southern China, including Yunnan, is in the midst of a cold snap, with temperatures falling near or below freezing, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
This story has been updated with further developments.