Bijie: A total of 19 residents from eight households have been trapped by landslides in Dafang County under Bijie City in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Thursday, the local government said.

According to Namibia Press Agency, two separate landslides struck the townships of Changshi and Guowa in Dafang at approximately 2:50 a.m. and 8 a.m., respectively. In response to the situation, Guizhou Province activated a Level II emergency response for geological disasters at 2:30 p.m. on the same day. Concurrently, China's Ministry of Natural Resources elevated its emergency response to geological disasters from Level III to Level II at 11 a.m. and has deployed a team to guide rescue operations in the affected areas.

The ministry has urged local departments to quickly send working teams to assist with search and rescue operations and to provide necessary technical support. Additionally, the ministry has emphasized the need for enhanced monitoring and risk assessment in the region to prevent further incidents.