Rescuers search for survivors at a residential building collapse site in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 20, 2015. [Photo: Xinhua/Tao Liang]

Seventeen people remain missing following the collapse of a nine-story building in Guizhou's capital, Guiyang.

A landslide is being blamed for the collapse of the building, which came down around noon Wednesday.

"I was going to go out at around 11:30 [a.m.]. I heard very loud sound outside when I just walked out of my home. I thought it was earthquake. I returned home for temporary hiding. It was dusty outside and I could see nothing."

Authorities say 98 of the 114 people inside the building at the time managed to escape.

People in nearby buildings have been moved out of the area as a precaution.

Guizhou, along with much of southern China, has been inundated by heavy rains over the past week.

This is due, in part, to Typhoon Dolphin, which has now burnt-out south of Japan.

The massive storm, which rolled into the East China Sea, drew monsoon rains from South Asia into the lower reaches of China over the past week.