At least six people died and 25 remained missing after mudslides triggered by rain hit two villages in China's Yunnan province Wednesday, local authorities said.
The disaster occurred around 2 a.m in Minzhu village in Yunlong county and at 3 a.m. in Shawa village in Fugong county, Xinhua quoted Li Hongwen, the county's Communist Party chief who is overseeing the rescue work, as saying.
More than 140 rescuers, along with excavators, fire trucks and ambulances, were searching the site, about 500 meters from the Nujiang river.
Some of the missing people may have been swept into the river while others may be buried under the thick mud and rock debris, Li said.
According to an earlier report, at least 17 people went missing at Minzhu village.