8 dead in landslide in central China county

Eight people have been killed after a landslide in a county in central China's Hunan Province on Sunday, reported Xinhua, quoting local authorities.

The landslide occurred in Douxi Village, Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County of Huaihua City, at 4:30 a.m. causing the collapse of four houses. The eight residents previously reported as missing have all been confirmed dead.

Following the disaster, more than 350 personnel from local fire departments, public security, natural resources and health departments have rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations, according to the disaster's emergency rescue headquarters.

Rainstorms hit many parts of Hunan from Saturday to Sunday morning. The province issued warnings for rainstorms and flooding on Sunday, predicting that storms will hit northern and central parts of the province in the coming week and disaster risks will be high.