Deadly landslide hits south China village

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Media caption,

It's thought at least 40 people have been buried and at least 18 killed.

A landslide in China's southern Yunnan province has left at least 18 people dead, state media says.

Sixteen homes were buried in the landslide that struck Gaopo village in Zhenxiong county at about 08:20 local time (23:00 GMT), Xinhua news agency said, citing local officials.

At least 40 people are thought to have been buried, according to provincial officials.

Hundreds of rescue personnel are at the site, Xinhua said.

Photos published on the news agency's website showed rescue workers combing through piles of earth and rubble strewn across a mountainous area.

Two injured people have also been sent to hospital but their condition remains unknown.

The provincial governor, Li Jiheng, is on the way to the area, Xinhua says.

The affected village, which is experiencing freezing temperatures, is next to Yiliang county, where a landslide in October buried a primary school that killed 18 children and an adult.

A series of earthquakes, including one of 5.8 magnitude, also hit the county in September 2012, killing dozens of people.