Five missing in SW China landslide believed dead

KAILI, Guizhou - Five people buried in a landslide in Southwest China's Guizhou province are believed to have died, rescuers said Tuesday.

Rescuers combed the site of the landslide in Longchang township, Kaili city, with life detectors, but found no signs of life, said Fan Wenjian, a firefighter at the scene.

The landslide occurred around 11 am on Monday. Five coal mine workers and their relatives, including two children, are believed to have been buried under the rocks.

Rescue efforts were hampered, as rocks continued to fall from the mountain on Tuesday, raising the volume of the landslide to about 240,000 cubic meters, according to the rescue headquarters at the scene.

Rocks have blocked a nearby river with a rising water level, forming a barrier lake. Some 20 households downstream are located 2 kilometers away from the lake.

Experts said the lake did not currently pose a serious threat, but rescuers are pumping water from the lake to prevent secondary disasters.