Rain, fog slows rescue operation

Five days after a landslide buried an ore mine and part of a village in Chongqing municipality, hopes of finding more survivors started dwindling yesterday as "difficult weather" conditions forced rescue work to slow down.

Continuous rain coupled with heavy fog has made the search and rescue operation on the Wuling Mountain, connected by a narrow muddy road, "extremely difficult", rescuers said.

"This is the most difficult rescue operation I have ever been involved with," said a veteran with 30 years' rescue work behind him.