Casualties unknown in C China landslide

Four houses in a suburban community in central China's Hubei Province were buried in a landslide on Saturday morning, with officials still verifying casualties.

The landslide struck Xuan'en County of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture at about 6:10 a.m.. Four people have been rescued and rushed to hospital, the county government said.

An initial probe suggested 11 people lived in the houses.

The site of the community is subject to regular geological monitoring because it is prone to such disasters, and an evacuation notice was issued on Friday night after a spell of heavy rain, according to officials.

Rescuers said they were struggling as large machinery can not enter the site.