Rescuers carry a body awayafter a landslide hit Gaopo village, Zhenxiong county of Zhaotong city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, on Jan 11, 2013.  [Photo by Zhang Guangyu]

Immediately after the accident, the local government launched an emergency response involving more than 1,000 rescuers, including local police and firefighters, who rushed to the site. Others were also rushed in from nearby regions to assist.

Zhai said the rescue will be difficult, given the size of the area affected, poor local road conditions, and the depth of the houses that have been buried.

The village is in the northern part of Zhaotong, located at the foot of a mountain in what is considered the coldest part of Yunnan province.

At this time of year, temperatures are low, and nearby mountains are covered with snow.

A policeman at the scene, who declined to give his name, said: "Although we have 10 digging machines working on the rescue, due to the cold weather and the large volumes of mud involved, there is little possibility of their survival."

Local authorities have provided 50 tents at the disaster area, with quilts and clothing for affected villagers, according to Zhenxiong county officials.

The national disaster reduction, and civil affairs departments said they had sent experts to Zhaotong to guide the disaster relief work.

Zhenxiong county is adjacent to Yiliang county, where 19 people, including 18 primary school students, were killed in a landslide in October. In September, a series of earthquakes struck the region, leaving at least 81 people dead in Yiliang.

A cold front is expected to move toward the region over the coming week, bringing rain and snow to Zhenxiong county, according to the Yunnan provincial meteorological bureau.

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Xinhua contributed to this story.