A landslide in southeastern China on Friday killed at least eight people and left 34 others missing, according to state media and local authorities.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that the landslide occurred around 9:10 a.m. (0110 GMT) in Bengshui County, where more than 800 rescue workers have been deployed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a thorough search operation.

County head Ren Shujiang said 18 people who were trapped had been found, and eight of them were confirmed dead.

Footage broadcast by CCTV showed a huge mass of rocks and earth covering part of a residential and commercial street at the foot of a mountain. Other footage showed people screaming and fleeing from a cloud of dust.

Another local official said Friday that the area where the landslide occurred has steep terrain, noting that experts at the scene reported that dangerous rocks still remain along the cliff face.

The ministries of finance and emergency management announced that the Chinese government has allocated 50 million yuan ($7.36 million) in relief funds to support rescue operations and assist affected residents.

The Chinese president urged authorities to determine the cause of the disaster.

This comes less than two weeks after another landslide in Gansu province in northwestern China killed 21 people.