Earthquakes blamed for China village landslide

Beijing: The landslide which killed 46 villagers in China`s Yunnan province Friday could have been caused due to last year`s earthquakes in the same province, a Chinese expert has said. According to a Chinese expert, the earthquakes that struck a county in Yunnan province last September were a contributing factor in the Friday`s landslide, Xinhua reported.

Steep slopes, unstable soil and recent precipitation contributed to the landslide, Jiang Xingwu, head of a group of geological disaster prevention experts under the provincial land and resources bureau, said during a press briefing. Jiang said earthquakes that jolted Yiliang county Sept 7 last year were also a factor. The deceased in Friday`s landslide included 19 children of the small village called Gaopo. The toll rose after two missing people were found Saturday morning. According to the civil affairs bureau, 46 residents - 27 adults and 19 children - were buried in the landslide. The landslide hit the Gaopo village in Zhenxiong County around 8.20 a.m. Friday. A State Council work group, comprising of officials from several ministries, arrived at the scene at 4 a.m. Saturday to coordinate rescue and disaster relief efforts. The rescue and disaster relief operation involved over 1,000 rescue workers. IANS