3 killed, 10 missing in landslides in China

The landslide roared down the mountain at about in the afternoon and engulfed the brickyard located 300 meters away in a suburban district of Xi'an City, the capital of Shaanxi province, officials said.

Three people were killed in the accident, Xinhua news agency reported.

A villager from the nearby village of Maoxi said people in the workshop and the dormitory who were unable to escape were buried. The brickyard's chimney was also toppled by the landslide.

More than 700 police, firefighters, and local residents have joined the rescue operation.

Torrential rains have been pounding nearly 60 of Shaanxi's counties since September 4, triggering mountain torrents and landslides, the provincial civil affairs department said Saturday.

Persistent rains have killed nine people and forced 47,200 to evacuate their homes in the last few weeks.

The local disaster relief agency warned that more rains are expected to hit Shaanxi through Monday, urging government departments to guard against rain-triggered disasters.