One person had been confirmed dead, while another 17 were missing as of Sunday morning, following extraordinarily heavy rainfall in Yongchuan district, Chongqing, Xinhua News Agency has reported.

According to the local meteorological department, from 11 pm on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday, heavy to extremely heavy rain fell in parts of central and western Chongqing, with an extraordinary rainstorm in Yongchuan's Guankou Bay and Hanjia Gully village.

The Chashanzhuhai subdistrict logged the maximum rainfall of 296.6 mm between 2 am and 4 am Sunday, with a maximum hourly rainfall intensity of 103.6 mm, according to the on-site command headquarters for flood control and rescue operations.

A short interval between bouts of heavy rainfall increases the risk of landslides, collapses and mudslides.

Chongqing activated a Level 3 emergency response for geological disasters in Yongchuan at 7 am on Sunday, with local authorities conducting emergency rescue operations.

With Xinhua inputs