Video of the landslide posted to the Twitter account of the official People’s Daily showed the side of a hill collapsing, with dirt rushing across the outskirts of the town as onlookers shouted in fright.
Landslides are a frequent danger in rural and mountainous parts of China, particularly after heavy rain.
In June and August, massive landslides in southwestern Sichuan province killed more than 30 and left scores missing.
In July 63 people were killed by landslides and floods in the central province of Hunan. Some 1.6 million people were forced from their homes.