Deadly landslide occurs in Sichuan province, China

Fifteen people have been confirmed dead and more than 100 are still missing, due to the landslide that took place early Saturday in Sichuan province, south-western China.

The side of a mountain collapsed at about 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 24, 2017, destroying more than 40 homes in Xinmo village, Mao County. The debris slid half a mile downslope, blocking a 2 km stretch of a river and the nearby road, according to Xinhua news agency. Local officials said that approximately 8m cubic metres of rock have been dislodged.

Heavy rainfall is thought to be a possible cause of the slide, according to the provincial government's Land and Resources Department, while the local police told state broadcaster CCTV that the lack of vegetation in the area had made the landslide worse.

An official from China's Ministry of Land and Resources told CCTV that the landslide causes were complicated and could include rain and unstable rock masses. "In this landslide, we feel that it is also because the whole mountain structure in Sichuan has become loosened following the earthquake on May 12, 2008. There is a drop in the 'dynamic properties', and its stability has also decreased. The recent rainfall has triggered the landslide," Tian Yanshan said.

About 1,000 rescue workers rushed into the area on Saturday, using life-detection equipment to locate people trapped under the debris. Roads in the county were closed to all traffic except emergency services.