Crews recover cars trapped in mudslide

CHENGDU - Thousands of vehicles trapped by rain-triggered mudslides on a vital expressway were pulled free on Monday.

However, as fresh mudslides spilled onto the highway in the early hours of Monday, officials said they do not know when traffic will return to normal.

Yang Guangming, a worker overseeing National Highway 213, said he saw a "waterfall" of mud and rocks sweeping down from between two mountains at about 9 am on Sunday, burying half the course of the Minjiang River.