BEIJING (AP) – A landslide collapsed and buried buildings at and around an industrial park in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Sunday, leaving 22 people missing, authorities said.
At least seven people were rescued after 18 buildings were buried and an area of 20,000 square meters (24,000 square yards) was covered with soil, the Ministry of Public Security’s firefighting bureau said in an online statement.
Shenzhen’s fire brigade said that one building had collapsed, but that the landslide had affected a large area in the northwestern outskirts of the city.
Li Yikang, the deputy secretary general of the Shenzhen city government, said at a televised news conference that 17 men and five women were missing. He said more than 900 people had been evacuated.
Giving different figures than the fire authorities, Li said that four people had been rescued and 22 factory buildings buried, involving 15 companies. The reason for the discrepancies wasn’t immediately clear.