12 people likely dead after central China landslide

Beijing - Authorities in China say 12 people are likely dead inside a hotel overrun by a landslide.

State media reported that rescuers have not detected signs of life from 10 people who were trapped underneath rocks and debris after the Friday night landslide in Hunan province.

The official Xinhua News Agency said 3 000 cubic meters of debris tumbled down a slope behind the three-story hotel in Nanzhang county. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.

A statement from the Nanzhang government said the rescue work had been hampered by a 150-ton rock that had fallen on the site. State media reported that rescuers were trying to pull rocks and debris off of the site before digging further.

Rescuers have pulled five survivors from the debris, two of whom died in a hospital.

Hilly and densely populated Hunan is frequently struck by landslides triggered by heavy rainfall.