Frantic hunt for landslide survivors

Wednesday, 11 August 2010 11:30

Written by Editor

Rescuers in Gansu province in north-west China are continuing their frantic search for more than 1,100 people missing after a huge landslide that has already claimed more than 700 lives.More heavy rain is forecast,  which could hamper rescue work and bring more landslides.

On Monday evening the death toll jumped from 137 to 337 and reached 700 by Tuesday, with officials warning that the figure will rise. The landslides in Zhouqu, Gansu, were triggered by torrential rains that hit the area on Saturday. Landslide debris blocked a river which burst its banks, sending water, rocks and mud down several hillsides and on to homes.

More than 4,500 soldiers, firefighters and medical staff have been sent to the area, as well as helicopters and other aircraft. Soldiers blasted through the blockage on the Bailong river, lowering the water level of an unstable lake created by the landslide. Thousands of people have been evacuated from downstream villages  as a precaution.

The landslides came on the heels of China's worst flooding in a decade, with more than 1,000 people reported dead and millions more displaced around the country. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has visited Zhouqu, urging rescue workers on in their efforts and comforting families.