One person has been confirmed dead, and 17 others are missing after torrential rains hit Yongchuan District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, local authorities said on Sunday, adding that rescue operations are underway.

According to the meteorological department, torrential rains struck parts of central and western Chongqing between 11 p.m. on Saturday and 12 a.m. on Sunday. Guankouwan and Hanjiagou Village in the district logged 296.7 millimeters and 256.9 millimeters of extraordinary rainstorms, respectively.

Given the short interval between the current and previous rounds of heavy rainfall, the continuous precipitation poses a higher risk of inducing geological disasters, including landslides, collapses and debris flows, the meteorological authorities said.

Chongqing has activated a Level-III emergency response for geological disasters in the region's Yongchuan District at 7 a.m. on Sunday.