Residential building collapses in southwestern China, trapping at least 16

WATCH ABOVE: Residential building collapses in China following landslide

BEIJING – A nine-story residential building in southwest China collapsed following a landslide on Wednesday, and 16 people remained missing hours later, the city government said.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The collapse occurred at about 11:30 a.m. in Guiyang city, leaving a pile of steel, bricks and other rubble. By early evening, the city government said 98 residents had been found safe. It was still trying to contact 16 others, and cellphone signals of 15 of them had been traced to the site.

The government said in a statement that heavy rainfall led to the collapse of the building with 35 households and that people in the surrounding area had been evacuated. More than 100 rescuers were at the scene and no casualties had been found by mid-afternoon, it said.