China landslide: 91 missing in Shenzhen as mudslide buries 33 buildings

14 people have been rescued so far and more than 900 evacuated from the area

Hundreds of rescuers are sifting through rubble looking for survivors (AFP/Getty Images)

At least 91 people are missing after a landslide engulfed a business park in China - burying 33 buildings.

The landslide, which struck shortly before midday on Sunday, swept through three industrial parks on the outskirts of Shenzhen, crashing into factories and apartments.

Local resident Peng Jinxin said people ran out of the way of the "huge waves” of mud.

"At one point the running mud was only ten metres away from me," Mr Peng told official government news agency Xinhua.

The mud was 10 metres deep in some parts and covered an area of more than 380,000 square metres, state media said.

Rescuers continue to sift through rubble in the search for survivors, despite low visibility and persistent rain.

The Ministry of Land Resources blamed the landslide on an artificial hill created over the past two years by the dumping of soil from nearby construction sites.

A nearby section of China's major natural gas pipeline also exploded, although it is still not clear if this played any role in the incident.

Chinese state media reported 14 people had been rescued so far and more than 900 have been evacuated.