The landslide hit two villages in the southwestern city of Zhaotong at about 5:51 a.m. (2151 GMT), covering houses in brown mountain soil at the foot of a hill, state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) reported.
Video shared on social media showed damaged houses and debris in Liangshui village after the landslide hit. Reuters was able to confirm the location of the footage from the nearby building and topography which matched satellite imagery and corroborating videos, but was not able to independently verify the date when the footage was filmed.
Firefighters were climbing through the rubble searching for survivors in light snow, CCTV reported. It was not clear what had triggered the landslide.
