At least six people have been confirmed dead while 25 others are still missing when a mudslide hit two counties in Yunnan Province, authorities said Thursday.

The mudslides, which occurred in Fugong and Yunlong Counties, occurred early Wednesday, triggered by heavy rain that has been affecting several areas across the country.

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The mudslide killed six people in Yunlong County's Minzhu Village, the civil affairs bureau of the Autonomous Prefecture of Dali said.

The mud also blocked roads to the village and destroyed several houses and farmlands.

In Fugong County's Shawa Village, 17 people were reported missing and were believed to have been swept into the river or buried under the debris when the mudslide occurred at 3 am on Wednesday.

At least 200 rescuers and volunteers where searching for the missing persons in the river and under the debris of mud, sand, stones, and rocks.

"Those missing persons may have been swept by the mud towards the river," said one government official. The area is just about 500 meters from the Nujiang River.

One villager said he was awakened by the noise at 3 a.m. and thought the river had just overflowed.

"I thought it was the water from the river that overflowed. I rushed outside to see it was mud," said one villager. He ran to safety even without his clothes on.

Most of the area in Yunnan has entered the flood season due to the continuous heavy downpours. Authorities said the rain will continue in the next three days, making the rescue efforts in Fugong and Yunlong even more difficult.

The Chinese government has already issued several warnings to residents in flashflood- and landslide-prone areas across the country due to the continuous heavy downpour.

As of Wednesday, the downpour in China had already affected 45,000 people and damaged 20,000 hectares of farmland.

TagsChina Rain, China Mudslide