ZHAOTONG, China – Rescuers race against time in freezing temperatures to find the dozens still missing after a tragic landslide buried them alive on Monday.
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A massive cliff collapsed at 5:51 in the morning while most people in two separate villages were still in bed. China Central Television reported that feet of rock, soil and snow covered homes. Other homes and buildings tumbled from foundations.
Authorities reported initially that 47 people from 18 homes went missing. Searchers have since found two of them injured and now hospitalized, while eight others were found dead, according to local media.
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To complicate the search, Zhaotong is experiencing a cold snap. Overnight temperatures dropped below freezing, putting any trapped survivors in jeopardy. Highs have only been in the 30s. Video shows snow covering the villages.
Officials released a statement saying that 1,000 rescue workers were on the scene.
Meanwhile, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake jolted northwestern China on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was located about 80 miles west-northwest of Aykol, China. No damage or deaths have been reported so far.