Death toll from Jiangxi mudslide rises to 5

The death toll from a mudslide in Suichuan county, Jiangxi province, has risen to five, with seven people still missing, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Five bodies had been recovered by rescue workers from the disaster site in Mingkeng village, Gaoping township as of 1 pm on Tuesday, the report stated.

Search operations are continuing in the hardest-hit area, alongside work to reinforce access roads and guard against secondary disasters. The rescue command has divided up the search area for the missing into four zones and carried out preliminary assessments on damaged homes.

More than 170 rescuers from 12 specialist teams are searching the area, the report added.

The mudslide struck Mingkeng village at around 4 am on Saturday after days of heavy rain brought by Typhoon Saudel, the 18th typhoon of the year.