NW China county mourns landslide victims

XI'AN - More than 700 people gathered at a school in Shaanxi Province, northwest China, on Tuesday to mourn victims of a landslide.

The landslide hit the living quarters of a local mining company and three rural homes in Shanyang County in the early hours of Aug. 12. Twelve people have died, 10 escaped unaided and four were dug out by rescuers. Fifty-three remain missing.

At 10 a.m., relatives of the victims, county officials, soldiers and police paid a silent tribute at the school and left flowers for the victims.

Tuesday marked the seventh day after the landslide.

According to Chinese tradition, the seventh day after death is when the soul returns home. It is typically the day spent mourning.

The rescue work was suspended Tuesday due to torrential rain, but will resume as soon as conditions allow, according the rescue headquarters.

The huge volume of mud and rubble, combined with the risk of secondary disasters, has hindered the search, according to rescuers.

Those missing included villagers, mine workers and their families, as well as construction workers.