Society

At least 28 killed in fresh landslides

By Cui Jia (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-14 08:52

Beijing - Fresh landslides on Friday killed at least 28 people in two cities not far from Gansu province's Zhouqu county where last weekend's rain-triggered mudslides have already claimed more than 1,000 lives.

More torrential rains battered Northwest China's relatively less developed Gansu province during the past two days.

A team of quarantine staff lifts a body excavated from the debris in Zhouqu on Aug 13. [Wang Jing / China Daily]

In Longnan city, 24 people died and more than 10,000 were trapped following landslides, according to Xinhua News Agency. Another four died in Tianshui city and dozens were missing province-wide as of 7 pm on Friday.

Meanwhile, the risk of an outbreak of diseases is mounting in Zhouqu as corpses of humans and animals buried in the rubble are threatening to rot under high temperatures, which could contaminate the water supply.

Special Coverage: Devastating landslide in Zhouqu Related readings:  Floods, landslides leave 19 dead, 20 missing  127 dead in rain-triggered landslides in NW China  Mudslides leave 5 dead, 500 trapped in SW China  Man rescued 81 hours after NW China mudslides  Death toll from NW China mudslides rises to 337

"Despite the high temperatures and humid weather, there is no report of an outbreak of epidemics or spreading of respiratory infectious diseases in Zhouqu," said Senior Colonel Lu Chengzhong of the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army during a press conference in Beijing.

He added that emergency rescue work was drawing closer to the end and epidemic prevention and clearing the mud were now the troops' priority.

The death toll from the massive landslide in Zhouqu rose to 1,156 as of 4 pm on Friday, with 588 still missing, local authorities said. Meteorological authorities have warned of more heavy showers in the coming days.

The army and military police played a "crucial role" in rescuing people in Zhouqu after a series of mudslides hit the mountainous area early on Sunday morning, said Major General Wang Wenjie of the Lanzhou Military Command, adding the troops acted "swiftly".

"People can count on us whenever disaster strikes. The army will always be a strong and reliable force in rescue missions," Wang said.

More than 6,280 officers and soldiers from the army and armed police had been sent to Zhouqu to carry out rescue and relief work by 8 am on Friday. They have "saved 45 human lives".

"For those who are still buried under the mud, the chances of survival are minimum," said Wang. "But to show respect to the deceased, our officers and soldiers use their bare hands to dig the bodies out so they could remain in one piece."

Besides Gansu province, heavy rain also pounded some areas of Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces from Wednesday night to Thursday night, destroying homes, inundating croplands, and disrupting traffic and telecommunication.

In Mianzhu, Sichuan, mudslides have left at least seven people dead and 500 others trapped in rural mountainous areas, a spokesman for the municipal government said.

In Weinan, Shaanxi, floods have affected some 100,000 people and forced the evacuation of 4,600 residents. More than 4,800 homes were destroyed or damaged, a spokesman for the Weinan Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau said.

Xinhua contributed to the story.