Two killed, 10 missing in central China landslide

Two people have been killed and another 10 are feared dead following a landslide that hit a mountainous area in central China.

Local authorities confirmed that the natural disaster struck the Nanzhang County of Hunan Province in the late hours of Friday, burying a hotel and its occupants.

They said a total of 15 people were initially trapped inside the Mirage Hotel as a result, and that a rescue operation managed to pull five survivors out. Two of them, however, later died at the hospital because of their injuries.

A 150-ton fallen rock has reportedly hampered rescue efforts.

Rescue workers, who have been using sniffer dogs to locate other potential survivors, say they have found no signs of life.

Hunan is a mountainous and densely-populated Chinese province that is frequently struck by landslides as a result of heavy rainfall.