Society

Road to SW China mudslide-hit town blocked

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-22 19:10

Yunnan - A road in southwest China's Yunnan Province flooded Sunday, blocking the delivery of relief supplies to a mudslide-hit town where rescuers are still searching for 69 missing people five days after the mudslides struck.

Traffic on the road bridge was cut after the flooding of the Dongyuegu River.

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"Vehicles transporting relief goods to the mudslide-devastated town are taking a 90 minute detour until the floodwaters subside," said Li Xingguo, a rescue official.

Residents living near the river have been evacuated, Li added.

The death toll from the mudslides on Wednesday in Puladi, a remote mountain township in Gongshan County, had risen to 23 as of Sunday.

The chances of survival of the missing 69 are slim, as heavy rains and bad road conditions hamper the rescue work.

Big machinery like excavators could not be transported to the site, said Hou Xinrong, director of the Gongshan public security bureau.