The landslide in Xuyong county in Sichuan province occurred after more than 150mm of rain fell in just three hours overnight, the local government said in a statement.

A rescue operation has been launched.

China has endured a summer of extreme weather, with downpours battering much of the south for weeks.

The most recent deluge forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 residents in Sichuan’s Yibin city and 556 in nearby Chongqing, state media said today.

Typhoon Danas also made landfall in China’s east last night, lashing Zhejiang province with rain and high winds.

Some areas of Zhejiang recorded 260mm of rainfall in just 24 hours as Danas approached.

China’s national meteorological centre predicted the storm could bring winds of up to 117kph.

Authorities suspended local rail services and warned that the heavy rainfall could bring flooding and more landslides.

Danas is expected to weaken as it heads west but could still bring flooding risks to already sodden inland regions.

Six people were killed and more than 80,000 evacuated due to floods in southern Guizhou province in June, according to state media.

A landslide on a highway in Sichuan province last week also killed three people after it swept several cars down a mountainside.

Another two people were killed in flooding in central Henan province this month.