GUIYANG - A total of 19 residents from eight households have been trapped by landslides in Dafang county under Bijie city in Southwest China's Guizhou province on Thursday, the local government said.

Two separate landslides struck Changshi and Guowa townships in Dafang at about 2:50 am and 8 am, respectively.

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Guizhou activated a Level II emergency response for geological disasters at 2:30 pm, while China's Ministry of Natural Resources raised its emergency response to geological disasters from Level III to Level II at 11 am, and has dispatched a working team to the area to guide rescue operations.

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The ministry urged local departments to promptly dispatch working teams to assist in search and rescue operations and provide technical support. It also called for enhanced monitoring and risk assessment.