Thirty-five workers have been reported missing after a landslide triggered by heavy rain hit a construction site of a hydropower project in southeastern parts of China on Sunday.

The deadly landslide occurred early Sunday morning in Taining County, Fujian Province.

A rescue operation is underway, and at least nine workers have already been saved. The rescued workers have been sent to a local hospital.  

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According to Chinese state media, more than 400 rescue workers are searching for the missing people at the construction site.

President Xi Jinping has directed provincial authorities to organize rescue work as quickly as possible. He urged 'maximum efforts' to search for buried and missing people.

Premier Li Keqiang dispatched a working team, under the State Council, to the province to oversee the rescue operation.

The southern parts of China have been affected by the extremely heavy rain, leading to flooding and fatal landslides in past few days. Another landslide triggered by heavy rainfall damaged parts of a railway line in southwest China on Friday.

China Meteorological Administration had issued a warning about the heavy rainfalls and floods in southern China. "The amount of rain in the area will be far above the same period in previous years," the state forecaster said last week. 

Tagschina, landslide, Fujian, China Floods, Xi Jinping