2 dead and 19 trapped in landslides in southwestern China

The moon sets above a Chinese flag in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

BEIJING — Landslides struck a rural area in China’s southwestern Guizhou province Thursday morning, killing two people and leaving 19 others trapped in the debris, state media said.

The bodies were found in Changshi township, while 19 other people from eight households were buried in the nearby Qingyang village where rescue operations were ongoing, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Most of Guowa township, where Qingyang is located, has lost power after the landslides, a local newspaper reported.

A resident told state media that it had rained all night. A drone video of the area showed a large swathe of brown earth that cut through the green slope of the hilly terrain.