The official Xinhua News Agency said people were buried under debris at the mine in Alxa League. It said six were rescued with injuries and 53 were still listed as missing.
A brief video of the collapse posted on the website of the Beijing Times newspaper showed a massive wall of reddish dirt or sand rushing down a slope onto mining vehicles moving below.
Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded “all-out efforts in search and rescue of the missing and treatment of the injured,” Xinhua reported. Xi called for “ensuring the safety of people’s lives and property and maintaining overall social stability,” it said.