By The South Asia Times

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered authorities to conduct "scientific" search-and-rescue operations after a landslide in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality killed at least eight people and left 34 others missing, according to state media.

Citing the state-run Global Times reported that Xi on Friday called for every effort to rescue those trapped, minimize casualties and prevent secondary disasters following the landslide, which struck Hanjia Subdistrict in Pengshui County earlier in the day.

According to officials, 18 people had been rescued from the disaster site by Friday night, including eight who later died, while search operations continued for the 34 people still unaccounted for.

A moment of silence was observed during an emergency press conference at the rescue site to honor those who lost their lives, Chinese media reported.

The landslide occurred at around 9:08 a.m. local time, sending rocks and mud crashing into a residential area and burying several buildings.

Authorities said community workers had detected falling rocks about an hour before the disaster and immediately warned residents. More than 60 people were evacuated before the slope collapsed, but the landslide struck during the evacuation process, leaving several people trapped beneath the debris.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Natural Resources, and the national disaster prevention authorities activated emergency response mechanisms, dispatching rescue personnel from national, municipal and county levels.

Professional teams from emergency management, firefighting, police, health and geological departments have been deployed to the site, where heavy machinery, search dogs and specialized rescue equipment are being used to locate survivors.

A local official told the Global Times that the sudden nature of the landslide and the unstable terrain have complicated rescue efforts, but operations are continuing around the clock.

Images released by rescue authorities showed residential buildings almost completely buried beneath massive rocks and thick mud, with emergency workers searching through the wreckage amid dust and debris.

Mountainous regions across southwestern China are prone to landslides, particularly during the summer rainy season, when prolonged rainfall weakens hillsides and increases the risk of geological disasters. Authorities regularly issue weather alerts and evacuation orders in vulnerable areas as part of disaster mitigation efforts.

The cause of Friday's landslide remains under investigation. Rescue operations were continuing late into the evening as authorities searched for survivors.