The number of missing people in a massive landslide in south China's Shenzhen City has dropped to 76, as some who were previously reported missing have been contacted, said authorities on Tuesday afternoon.

Previously, the number of missing was reported to be 91, but 15 have been contacted, according to Vice Mayor Liu Qingsheng.

Those who remain missing include 51 males and 25 females, said Liu at a press conference.

More than 4,000 rescuers had joined the rescue efforts as of Tuesday morning, he added.

Sixteen locations where buildings were buried have been listed as key excavation areas, according to Liu.

The name list of the missing was made public on Tuesday. The majority come from Guangdong and central China's Henan and Hunan provinces.

The body of a male victim was retrieved from the debris early Tuesday. "We detected vital signs several times, but our utmost efforts were in vain," said Yao Yingzheng, a firefighter who participated in pulling out the first victim.

"We felt disheartened when doctors claimed him dead," he said. "But as long as there are vital signs, we will try our best."

The landslide hit an industrial park at around 11:40 a.m. Sunday after the collapse of a huge pile of construction waste from a hill in Shenzhen, burying or damaging 33 buildings.

Some 900 people were evacuated. Sixteen people were hospitalized, all with minor injuries, said the Guangdong provincial health authorities.

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• Reinforcements join Shenzhen landslide rescue
• Number of missing people drops to 76 in Shenzhen landslide

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