They also confirmed there was one death - the first reported casualty from the disaster. The newspaper Jingbao quoted officials as saying that the body of a man was found around 05:40 local time (21:40 GMT Monday), but there were no further details on the person's identity.
Other local media outlets reported that rescuers had detected signs of life in various places, and have opened six main dig sites.
The state-run China National Radio (CNR) reported that authorities investigated a claim that a group of nine survivors were trapped alive in a dormitory whose facade was blocked by rubble.
However, they checked the building and found no signs of life, the report said.