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Landslide kills 4, buries 17 in Chongqing
(Reuters)
Updated: 2004-06-06 16:16 There is little hope for survival of 17 missing
people who had been buried in rubbles in a landslide Saturday afternoon that has
killed at least four people, in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China,
officials said.
Four bodies of the dead have been recovered and another three were
rescued and hospitalized, rescue officials said.
Rescuers search for survivors after a landslide left three people dead
and 18 missing in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality June 5, 2004.
[newsphoto] |
Heavy rains over the past few days led to mountain torrents that collapsed,
at 1:50 p.m., part of a local hill and a coal gangue deposit of the local
coalmine bureau in Xinhua Village of Wandong Town of Wansheng District. And
rubbles from the hill and gangue deposit, about 200,000 cubic meters in total,
slid 500 meters far and buried 14 homes of farmers nearby, rescue experts at the
scene said.
A total of 56 people lived in the homes, but fortunately 32 of them were not
at home when the disaster happened while other 24 were interred beneath.
The three injured have been out of life danger, doctors said.
Dredgers, bulldozers used to help find those missing
Six dredgers and four bulldozers are tumbling in mud and rubbles to hopefully
excavate a life way leading to 17 missing villagers.
The six dredgers were working in three pairs, opposite to each other, to
remove mud and stones in the area where the fish pound was previously located
and the victims would be most likely to be found, according to officials. Each
machine was followed by rescuemembers of firefighters and policemen.
The powerful force of the landslide might have thrust houses and people,
along with mud and rubbles, to a fish pound in front of the landslide site,
rescue officials said. They decided to dig a channel first to divert water out
of the pound and in the muddy rubbles.
According to geological experts at the scene, the muddy deposit was thick,
four meters at the thickest and one meter at the least, which indicated slim
chances for survival of the buried.
The rescue headquarters have set up five monitoring stations Saturday night
in case of further dangers and gongs will be beaten to warn people if there is
any more risk.
About 400 police officers, 60 armed policemen and 20 firefighters were sent
to take part in the rescue operation.
Workers, villagers and officials from nearby factories and villages also
joined. A worker, surnamed Hu from the local Donglin Coalmine, said some 100 of
his fellow workers were working for salvation and another 200 were on stand-to.
A total of 56 people lived in the homes that were crushed in the landslide,
but fortunately 32 of them were not at home when the disaster happened while 24
others were buried beneath.
The government has organized 14 work teams to soothe the 14 families and
arrange their compensation. It also found 14 houses for the families as
makeshifts, according to rescue officials.
Rescuers use life detectors to aid their
rescue missions. [newsphoto] |
Yu Jianhong, a boy of 10, survives the
disaster. [newsphoto] |
Chongqing mayor Wang Hongju (left) is at the
site to lead the rescue mission. [newsphoto] |
A body of the victim is found by rescuers.
[newsphoto] |
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