At least 16 people remain buried after a landslide in the mountainous region of China's western Gansu province. State broadcaster CCTV reported Tuesday that 33 people were initially trapped, with 17 successfully rescued.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an all-out rescue effort for those affected by the natural disaster, according to CCTV. The cause of Tuesday's landslide remains unclear, but China has been hit by deadly thunderstorms this week.

China's Xinhua news agency reports at least eight deaths after thunderstorms hit eastern parts of central Hubei Province on Monday night, with one person still missing. Strong winds and storms struck Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou, and Xianning, with winds reaching 149 km/h.

At least 275 people were injured by Tuesday morning, Xinhua reported. Forecasters have warned of more torrential rain across various parts of the country home to about 200 million people.

The National Meteorological Centre warned that southeastern Guangxi and eastern Jiangsu and Shandong provinces should brace for extremely heavy rain of up to 260 mm over the next 24 hours, which could trigger landslides. Tornadoes are expected in northeastern and southern areas.

China is also on alert for Super Typhoon Bavi, moving across the Pacific Ocean towards Taiwan. The US National Weather Service reported winds of up to 290 km/h as it passed over Guam, Tinian, Saipan, and Rota on Monday.

Source: www.aljazeera.com