File Photo for representational purpose only: Rescue workers search for missing people following the landslide in Junlian county of Yibin, Sichuan province, China.
Credit: Reuers
Beijing: Two people were killed and 19 others trapped in landslides in southwest China's Guizhou province on Thursday, local officials said.
Two separate landslides struck Changshi and Guowa townships of Dafang County in Bijie city.
While two people were killed in the landslide at Changshi, 19 people were trapped in Guowa township.
The national commission for disaster prevention, reduction, and relief initiated rescue efforts in both places, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The commission has dispatched a working group to the affected areas to assess the situation and assist in local relief efforts.
China's Ministry of Natural Resources raised its emergency response to geological disasters from Level III to Level II and has dispatched a working team to the area to guide rescue operations.
The ministry urged local departments to promptly dispatch working teams to assist in search and rescue operations and provide technical support. It also called for enhanced monitoring and risk assessment, the Xinhua report said.