Landslide in China's Gansu province traps 16 —report

Sixteen people remain buried in a mountainous county in China's western province of Gansu after a landslide on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

A total of 33 people were initially trapped, with 17 now "successfully rescued", CCTV said.

Local authorities are making every effort to rescue those affected in a village in Tanchang county, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The cause of the landslide remains unclear.

The mountainous region with steep valleys and crisscrossing rivers is prone to natural disasters including flash floods and landslides, especially during the rainy seasons.

Local government websites show multiple recorded landslides in recent years following heavy rain. Mudslides in August 2020 killed at least five people and displaced more than 72,000, while causing 8.2 billion yuan ($1.21 billion) in damage.

In 2010, a huge mudslide in nearby Zhouqu triggered by intense rain killed over 1500 people, with more than 200 people unaccounted for, according to the official tally.

($1 = 6.7931 yuan)

-Reporting by Ryan Woo and Xiuhao Chen; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Tom Hogue/Reuters