The landslide hit Jinping village in the city of Yibin at around 11:50 am (0350 GMT).

"Ten houses had been buried, more than 30 people were missing, and around 200 people were evacuated and relocated," CCTV said.

People should avoid the area as the landslide was "still ongoing", the state broadcaster added, quoting on-site rescuers.

China's President Xi Jinping had ordered authorities to do "everything possible to search for and rescue missing people, minimise casualties, and properly handle the aftermath".

The country's Ministry of Emergency Management said in an online post that two people had been rescued.

Emergency response teams were on site searching for survivors, it added.

Authorities have also allocated 30 million yuan ($4.1 million) to support the disaster relief efforts.