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Rescuers raced on Tuesday to find dozens of people still trapped after a landslide<\/a> struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China, killing 12.<\/p>\n The pre-dawn landslide buried 18 homes and sparked the evacuation of more than 200 people when it struck in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan province early on Monday.<\/p>\n More than 24 hours since the disaster, state news agency Xinhua<\/em> said rescue workers are now in a \u201crace against time\u201d to find those still missing, after a night of sub-zero temperatures.<\/p>\n \u201cSearch and rescue efforts persisted through the night,\u201d firefighter Li Shenglong told Xinhua<\/em>.<\/p>\n Twelve people have been confirmed dead, state broadcaster CCTV<\/em> reported just after midday.<\/p>\n Wu Junyao, director of the natural resources and planning bureau of Zhaotong, told Xinhua<\/em> that the disaster \u201cresulted from a collapse in the steep cliff area atop the slope\u201d.<\/p>\n Two hundred rescue workers have been dispatched to the scene as well as dozens of fire engines and other equipment.<\/p>\n The site is covered in thick snow and rescuers are \u201cusing all kinds of tools to search for survivors\u201d, Xinhua<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n Wu told Xinhua<\/em> the rescuers are digging through collapsed debris of \u201c100 meters in width, 60 metres in height, with an average thickness of around 6 meters\u201d.<\/p>\n CCTV<\/em> showed footage of rescue workers digging through twisted metal and concrete overnight in a bid to find survivors.<\/p>\n Other CCTV<\/em> footage showed locals huddling for warmth around a fire in a shelter, eating instant noodles.<\/p>\n People from the surrounding area have chipped into to help with relief efforts, state media said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur village is nearby,\u201d Hong Jie, 38, told Xinhua<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cOur main focus is on distributing supplies, cooking, and delivering food to those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered \u201call-out\u201d rescue efforts.<\/p>\n Landslides are common in Yunnan, a far-flung and largely impoverished region of China where steep mountain ranges butt against the Himalayan plateau.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s disaster occurred in a rural area surrounded by towering peaks dusted with snow, state media footage showed.<\/p>\n There was no immediate official explanation for what may have caused the landslide.<\/p>\n\u2018All-out efforts\u2019<\/h2>\n