Eight people are confirmed dead and 17 others remain missing following Wednesday night's landslide in Guizhou.
The slide in the city of Fuquan levelled 77 houses.
Witnesses say heavy rains led to the disaster.
"Authorities investigated this area in 2012 and assessed it as safe. However, after three days of strong downpours, the landslide was inevitable."
Half of a 600-meter-high knoll broke free and wiped out a majority of homes at the foot of the hill.
Heavy rains in the area are still hampering the search efforts.
Zhu Deyang is a local official.
"The rescue work is quite difficult because of the large volume of mud and rocks. Steel and concrete are mixed tightly. All the injured have been sent to the hospital. We've set up 150 tents and have distributed quilts, food and bottled water to the residents."
The rains are also beginning to create a barrier lake in the slide path, which has forced crews to dig trenches to try to minimize the danger.
