At least four passengers died after a train derailed in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region early Wednesday.

Almost 2,000 policemen, workers and officials worked to rescue the victims, clearing rocks and debris from the line and using a large crane to lift damaged carriages off the track. The remaining carriages were removed by a rescue train.

The line linking Jiaozuo, central Henan Province, to Liuzhou, was cut, but reopened to traffic at 6:05 p.m. after 14 hours of rescue work.

Six excavators were clearing an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 cubic meters of landslide debris from the site. The narrow space did not allow more excavators to enter, rescuers said.

The municipal government had sent more than 100 buses to transport the stranded passengers, who had all been collected by noon.

Guangxi regional government Chairman Ma Biao and Vice Chairman Yang Daoxi arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue operation early Wednesday.

Heavy rain has hit the northern and central parts of Guangxi from Monday to early Wednesday.

On June 29, two passenger trains collided in central Hunan Province due to a brake failure, leaving three people dead and 63 others injured.