At least 11 persons were pronounced dead at the scene of a landslide, triggered by heavy downpour, that hit a village in Guizhou Province southwest China Friday morning.

Rescuers were still looking for at least a dozen people reported missing when intense rain triggered a landslide in Pianpo Village, Dafang County, Bijie City at 5:30 a.m. Friday.

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According to the county government, rescuers were able to pull seven people alive from the debris, although 11 others were confirmed dead at the scene.

The landslide was triggered by intense rain and involved more than 95,000 cubic meters of mud flow, authorities said.

The government has deployed at least 800 soldiers and rescuers to help locate those who were still missing as of this posting.

Sources said the debris buried houses, catching residents off-guard as most of them were fast asleep when the incident took place.

"It happened so fast. All I heard was thundering sound and then I noticed that the houses of my neighbors were already covered by mud," said one of the residents who survived the landslide.

On Friday night, at total of 120,000 people were displaced when floods, landslides, and mud flows hit 133 counties in 11 provincial-level regions.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, more than 3,600 homes collapsed and 19,900 hectares of crops destroyed.

Since 27 June, at least 34 people were reported dead or missing nationwide due to rain and storms.

The ministry said the floods, landslide and mudflows have already resulted to direct economic losses worth Rmb3.14 billion, or about US$471.6 million. The figure is expected to substantially increase in the coming days as heavy downpour is expected to continue.

China's weather experts warned of heavy rain and severe floods from Friday night through Saturday in parts of Guizhou, Hunan, Anhui, and Tibet.

TagsChina Landslide, china storm, China Rain, landslide, Downpour