At least one firefighter was dead and three people were reported missing after multiple mudslides hit Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan province, local authorities said.

The mudslides, caused by heavy rainfall, have cut off power and communication in the townships of Sanjiang, Shuimo and Yinxing, while the roads linking Wenchuan with Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, and Lixian county have been blocked.

According to the Sichuan Provincial Fire and Rescue Corps, two firefighters were missing during the rescue operation. One was confirmed dead, and another is receiving emergency treatment.

Meanwhile, a mudslide damaged a waterworks in Wolong Township, with one person missing. Two people were reported missing and another three were trapped after the production and living areas of a hydroelectric dam was flooded with water, reported the emergency management department of Sichuan province.

The department has dispatched nine boats, 29 vehicles and 115 rescue workers to the affected areas.

Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, which administers Wenchuan, has activated an emergency response, allocating a relief fund of 2 million yuan (around 280,000 U.S. dollars).

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