The landslide, which occurred on July 17 in Chongqing's Pengshui County, swept away several residential buildings at the foot of a mountain and along a riverbank.

State media footage showed a huge pile of rocks and earth that had collapsed into a residential and commercial street, with hundreds of rescue workers deployed to the scene.

Rescuers had warned there were no signs of life as they searched for 50 missing people in the rubble, with authorities reporting on Friday a death toll of 11 people.

Following "DNA testing and identification of bodies and remains found at the site, an additional total 30 victims have been confirmed", authorities in the county said late Tuesday, raising the new toll to 41.

The disaster occurred less than two weeks after another landslide in northwestern Gansu province buried 33 people and left 21 dead.