More than 100 feared dead in Chinese landslide

12 April 2012

A landslide caused by heavy rains trapped at least 107 people in south-western China today, with local officials saying there is little hope for their survival.

Many homes were buried when the landslide struck the village of Dazhai in Guizhou province after days of rain. The number of casualties was not immediately known.

Large areas of southern China have been hit by flooding in the last week, with at least 239 people killed and another 109 missing - not including those from today's landslide. More than three million people have left their homes over the past two weeks, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Floodwaters began receding yesterday in the hard-hit south and workers finished repairing a dike breach that forced 100,000 people to flee, but torrential rains have continued in the south-west.

"The landslide was triggered by heavy rains in the past few days, especially last night's rain. There is little chance that the people who are trapped will be able to survive," said an official in the provincial capital Guiyang, about 120 miles north-east of the landslide-hit area.

"I heard a huge bang' this afternoon when it was raining before I realized it was a landslide," said Huang Pangzun, a resident of Dazhai.

"Some people did not manage to run away and I assume that they are all dead."

State broadcaster CCTV said vice-premier Hui Liangyu was heading to the area to help coordinate rescue work.

The official Xinhua News Agency previously reported the number of trapped as 150 but later quoted a local spokesman as saying the number had been revised to 107.

In Malong county of Yunnan province floodwaters had receded enough that some people returned to inspect their homes. Residents returned to find their mud-brick houses covered in sludge in areas that had been under more than six feet of water after a reservoir overflowed.

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