Rescue personnel carry out rescue efforts after a landslide in Pengshui, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, on July 17, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of the China Anneng Chongqing

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged efforts to carry out search and rescue operations in a scientific manner after a landslide struck a county in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, leaving people trapped and missing, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday. 

A total of 18 people have been rescued from the site, among whom 8 have died, while 34 remain missing, according to a press conference at the emergency rescue site on Friday night, per Xinhua. 

A moment of silence was observed by all present at the press conference, according to China News Service. 

The landslide struck Hanjia subdistrict in Pengshui county, Chongqing Municipality, on Friday morning, according to media reports. Search and rescue operations are still fully underway, a local official told the Global Times on Friday.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Natural Resources, and the national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief have activated emergency responses, while rescue forces from the national, municipal and county levels have been mobilized to search for and assist affected residents.

Following the incident, Chongqing authorities immediately coordinated rescue and emergency response efforts. Professional rescue teams from emergency management, public security, firefighting, natural resources, health and other departments are carrying out rescue and response operations, according to a notice on the official WeChat account of Pengshui on Friday. 

An official from Pengshui told the Global Times on Friday during a phone interview that rescue teams from both the municipal and county levels have been fully mobilized and are carrying out search and rescue operations at the scene, with relevant officials overseeing the work on site.

The official said the challenges of rescue come from the sudden occurrence of the landslide and the complex conditions at the scene, which have made rescue operations more difficult. Nevertheless, search and rescue efforts are continuing, the official added.

At 9:08 am on Friday, a sudden landslide struck the Hanjia subdistrict in Pengshui, causing several residential buildings below to collapse. According to a preliminary investigation, community workers spotted scattered falling rocks at around 8 am and immediately issued a warning. 

According to an earlier report from CCTV News, local authorities quickly evacuated more than 60 residents to safety. The landslide occurred during the evacuation, leaving some people trapped under the debris. The exact number of those buried has yet to be confirmed. 

As of 11:38 am, rescuers had pulled eight trapped people from the debris. They were immediately taken to hospital and were not in life-threatening conditions. 

Footage provided to the Global Times by the China Anneng Chongqing rescue team showed that the residential buildings hit by the landslide had been completely buried, leaving behind massive rocks and piles of mud scattered across the site. White smoke could be seen rising from the debris. In a closer shot, numerous small orange dots emerged through the haze — rescue workers in orange uniforms searching through the rubble, racing against time to find and rescue those trapped.

An aerial view shows the site of a landslide in Hanjia subdistrict, Pengshui, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Photo: Courtesy of the China Anneng Chongqing rescue team

Rescue personnel conduct efforts following a landslide in Pengshui, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, on July 17, 2026. Photo: VCG

According to the Pengshui official, the smoke could have been caused by certain flammable materials being triggered during the landslide, but the exact reason remains unknown and will be subject to further investigation.

Following instructions from the Ministry of Emergency Management, the China Anneng Chongqing rescue team dispatched 100 personnel and 50 sets of specialized equipment for engineering rescue, detection and search operations to the site, according to CCTV news.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management has activated a Level II national emergency response for geological disasters and dispatched a team to the site to guide rescue and response efforts. The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief has also activated a Level IV national disaster relief emergency response and sent a working team to the affected area to assess the situation, according to official sources. 

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Natural Resources has launched a Level II geological disaster prevention response for Chongqing while also sending its working team to the scene, Xinhua reported, citing the ministry. 

The ministry and the commission, together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, have allocated more than 8,000 pieces of emergency supplies to Chongqing, including tents, folding beds, tables and chairs, blankets and emergency kits, to assist affected residents and help with resettlement and relief work.