A landslide hit the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province on Sunday, burying 22 buildings and leaving as many as 27 people missing, state media reported.
A nearby section of China's major West-East natural gas pipeline also exploded, the official China Central Television (CCTV) broadcaster reported.
Hundreds of rescuers sifted through rubble looking for survivors after the landslide struck Shenzhen's Liuxi Industrial Park in the city's northwestern Guangming New District in the morning, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Four people have been rescued from the debris, with three sustaining minor injuries, it said, citing rescuers.
As of 0900 GMT, rescuers had evacuated more than 900 people from the site, said Xinhua.
Xinhua had earlier said at least 41 people were missing, with seven people rescued and one suffering minor injuries.
