Seventy four missing in China landslide

Beijing - Chinese authorities on Saturday said that 74 people were missing and eight injured when a landslide destroyed several houses and an iron ore mine in south west China.

Among the missing were 21 residents, 47 workers at the mine, two telecom company employees and four passers-by, a government spokesman said at a press conference on Saturday.

The mishap occurred in on Friday at the iron ore mine in Chongqing municipality.
Hundreds of rescue workers have been deployed to find out the people, feared buried alive in the landslide.

According to rescue headquarters, people under the debris have almost no chance of survival, but there is hope for 27 miners trapped in the mine, state media Xinhua reported.

Seven people were pulled out on Friday of whom three were in critical conditions in a hospital, according to Chongqing Municipal Health Bureau.

The landslide also cut off power and communications in many parts of the town.

Vice-premier Zhang Dejiang visited the site on Saturday to oversee rescue operations.

Meanwhile, a geological investigation team constituted to probe into the cause of the incident has warned of more trouble if it rains.

With the Met department forecasting a downpour on Sunday, rescuers have rushed to remove the rubble under guidance of geological experts.