By Huang Zhiling in Dujiangyan and Hou Lei in Beijing (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-05-15 18:02

A major landslide on Thursday blocked a key road leading to the epicenter of Monday's killer earthquakes, hindering the rescue efforts in one of the worst-hit areas.

Injured and homeless locals disembark after they were brought downstream by boat to the damaged Zipingpu dam located near the city of Dujiangyan in Sichuan province May 15, 2008. [Agencies]

The sudden landslide happened in a juncture area between Dujiangyan and Wenchuan County on Thursday afternoon, shortly after soldiers managed to cleared the damaged road. There is no report of casualties in the accident

Local police stopped all vehicles on the road immediately after the landslide and rescuers have to wait until the road reopens.

Two China Daily reporters who are on their way to the epicenter Wenchuan County are also among the waiting people.

Soldiers are going all out to clear the debris and reopen the road as soon as possible.

In Dujiangyan, one of the worst-hit areas of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake, residents are in urgent need of aid, as they rely heavily on the donated food and their drinking water is transported by fire fighters from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

Dujiangyan is the first city Premier Wen Jiabao inspected after the powerful quake, therefore local residents have a strong confidence on the government’s relief work. Premier Wen rushed to the site on Monday evening, only several hours after the earthquake, to direct the relief work.

The 2000-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system was safe, according to information from the Minister of Water Resources.