A landslide in southwest China killed at least seven people and injured 20 more, Chinese state media reported Tuesday.
A village near Fuquan city in Guizhou provice was hit by the landslide, which destroyed and buried nearly 77 houses, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the Xinhua news agency. Rescue work was hampered by heavy rain in the region.
According to state-run television network CCTV a small reservoir was damaged during the landslide, resulting in flooding and overflow of debris. The channel showed dozens of rescuers searching a wide area covered in dried mud.
Guizhou is one of the poorest provinces in China, and is famous for its hilly topography and wet weather. According to a 2009 national survey, 42 percent of the provinces are affected in China due to soil erosion, despite mining being its primary industry.
"There are a lot of people that we may never be able to dig out," said senior Col. Feng, who declined to give his full name because he was not an officially designated spokesman told AP. "But there is still hope."
Last month, an earthquake in southern China killed at least 617 people. More than 3,143 were injured.
In 1970, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Yunnan killed at least 15,000 people. Just four years later, a magnitude-7.1 quake struck, killing more than 1,400. September 2012 witnessed the death of 81 people following a series of quakes in the area. It also left 821 injured. In May 2008, a powerful quake in Sichuan province left at least 90,000 people dead.
