Dozens missing after landslide in Shaanxi, China

About 40 people are missing after a landslide in China's northwest Shaanxi province, say local authorities.

The landslide buried 15 dormitory buildings and three homes owned by the Shaanxi Wuzhou Mining Company in Shanyang county shortly after midnight, covering a large area of land.

Rescue efforts have been greatly hampered by heavy rain, said state broadcaster CCTV.

China has seen severe weather during the current monsoon season.

The powerful Typhoon Soudelor hit southern China over the weekend bringing strong winds and rain,.

The Shanyang government said on its website that people in the area surrounding the landslide had been evacuated, and that large machinery and rescue personnel had been brought in.

CCTV said dozens of soldiers, some with sniffer dogs, were at the scene looking for signs of life.