At least 21 people have ​been confirmed dead in ‌a landslide in China’s western province of Gansu ​after the end of ​search and rescue operations, ⁠state news agency Xinhua ​reported on Wednesday.

The landslide ​hit a valley in Tanchang county early on Tuesday morning, trapping ​33 people.

Most of those affected were residents of nearby villages hired as temporary labourers at a state-run forestry farm that encompasses the valley, state-run China Newsweek said.

The mountainous region with ​steep valleys and ​crisscrossing ⁠rivers is prone to natural disasters including flash ⁠floods ​and landslides, especially ​during the rainy season.