The third and fourth units of the No. 21 apartment complex in a residential community in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province collapsed due to a rain-triggered landslide, the city government said.
An initial investigation showed 114 residents from 35 households lived in the collapsed sections.
Til the evening, 98 of the residents were confirmed safe.
Sixteen others could not be reached, but mobile phone signals of 15 of them were detected at the scene.
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A four-month baby was pulled out from the debris and rescued, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
A man surnamed Zhang, who lived on the ground floor, was pulled out by rescuers.
He told Xinhua that he was awakened by loud noises and was about to run when he was buried by falling debris.
Another resident, who declined to give her name, was worried about her daughter-in-law.
"She lived on the ninth floor," she said.
"I called, but couldn't reach her."
Residents of nearby buildings were evacuated after the accident.