The rain-triggered disaster occurred at around 3 am this morning in the Fugong county of Yunnan Province, administrated by Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Nujiang, said Li Hongwen, the county's ruling Communist Party chief.
In a difficult operation, more than 140 rescuers, along with excavators, fire trucks and ambulances, are searching the site, about 500 metres from the Nujiang River, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
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.