A landslide in southwest China buries homes and force more than 1,000 to evacuate

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers conduct search and rescue operation on the site of the landslide in Pengshui County in southwestern China's Chongqing on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Huang Wei/Xinhua via AP)

BEIJING — A landslide Friday in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing buried residential buildings, forced more than 1,100 people to evacuate and trapped others, state media reported.

State broadcaster CCTV said at least 10 people were rescued from the debris and that search and rescue operations were ongoing.

CCTV said the landslide occurred at around 9:08 a.m. in Chongqing’s Pengshui County. Massive amounts of rocks and soil washed downslope, burying more than 10 residential buildings.

Images by CCTV showed part of a mountainside collapsing onto a residential area. Several buildings were located next to the collapse site, while rescue crews combed through the debris. Rescue efforts were hindered by the unstable terrain and the risk of another landslide, according to the broadcaster.

Images shared on social media showed orange-clad rescuers using excavators to dig through the rubble. A team of rescuers pulled a victim out of the debris.

Large slabs of rock had slid beside buildings into a waterway below. Two buildings that looked about five and 15 stories high were damaged but still standing.

The rain-triggered landslide occurred near a section of the Wujiang River, which cuts through karst mountains peppered with small towns and terraces.

Authorities said they sent more than 8,000 disaster relief items to Chongqing, including tents, folding beds and family emergency kits.

Several power poles were buried, disrupting electricity. Authorities said water, electricity and gas supplies were suspended within a 1-kilometre (0.6-mile) radius of the landslide to prevent further disruptions.

Pengshui County is located in the southeast part of Chongqing, bordering the provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.